Thousand Eyes
by Leather2Lace
Summary: A young, ex-CIA agent is hired to fill in the shoes left by one of the BAU. She's tough, she's brash, but above all, she has skeletons in her closet that would put even her predecessor's to shame. This new agent's arrival will test just how far her new family is willing to go to save two of their own when an enemy, lurking in the shadows of her grisly past, returns for revenge.
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! I couldn't help but post this ASAP seeing as I've been writing it for the past month and have had this idea in my head for easily over a year now. I hope you enjoy it and if this is your first story with me, please know that you can message me anytime! I love to answer any questions you have as well as meet new people so feel free to hit a girl up. For those of you reading This is How I Disappear, do not fret. I am (somewhat) capable of updating both at once and I've already got several chapters of that set up! Please enjoy and thank you for reading!

 **Chapter 1**

Ava Thorne rolled over to her stomach at the sound of her alarm. Reaching over the other occupant in the bed who was still fast asleep, she turned it off and rose to a sitting position. She smiled down at the muscular back of her fiancée before pressing a gentle kiss to it and heading towards the shower. Today was a big day and even though she didn't need to be at her new job until nine, she purposely set an alarm for five. She wanted to be well put together and make a good first impression on her new team. The word was foreign to her, having always worked alone but the change was most certainly a welcomed one. Stepping under the cold water, Ava shivered as she quickly applied shampoo into the palm of her hand. Turning her back to the door, she failed to take notice as it opened and a slim, naked figure tip toed inside. Just as she finished rinsing the shampoo from her hair, Ava felt a warm hand slip around her waist. She jumped, spinning on her heel anticipating a threat, only to come face to face with her fiancée of three months.

"I don't know how many times I have to ask you not to sneak up on me." Ava couldn't help but smile as her fiancé pulled her in close. "I could've hurt you, Kate."

"Oh yes," the blonde murmured as she peppered the other woman with kisses along her collarbone, "my girlfriend, the secret agent, can't control her ninja assassin skills." Ava rolled her eyes, not at all annoyed at the attention Kate was giving her. She took hold of the woman's hips and tilted her head back slightly.

"Fiancée," she practically whispered as she felt Kate chuckle against her skin at the reminder.

"Yes, my fiancée." The shorter woman removed her lips from Ava's neck and offered her a beaming grin, water splashing into her face and causing her to blink rapidly. Ava sought to remedy her fiancée's discomfort and used her leverage to turn them around, pinning the blonde against the side of the shower. The two were still growing accustomed to the term and tried to use it as much as possible. Although only a handful of people knew about their relationship and how it had escalated recently, anyone who saw them could tell that they were in love. Ava smiled back, hands already massaging the sensitive flesh around Kate's hipbone. Without another word, she pressed her lips to the blonde's neck, nipping and sucking where she knew she would strike gold. Kate moaned almost immediately, legs instinctually parting slightly, as she racked her nails down Ava's back. The brunette grinned as she felt her fiancée squirm against her, longing to be touched. Before long, Ava wedged a thigh in between Kate's legs and the blonde dropped her head onto her shoulder, needing the extra support. While Ava was still concerned with getting to work on time, she saw this as a necessary addition to her morning ritual and praised herself for thinking to set such an early alarm.

"I'm just saying," Garcia huffed as she sat at the edge of a now empty desk, "whoever she is, I'm probably not going to like her." The rest of the team, minus Hotch, took in the woman's tone and expression before responding.

"Pen, just because she's not Emily doesn't mean you won't like her." Morgan insisted.

"It's not that she's not Emily." Garcia pressed. "It's that she's trying to _replace_ Emily. No one, and I do mean _no one_ , can measure up to my Emily Prentiss."

"She's never even met her, Garcia." JJ sighed. "She's just filling an empty spot, not after her place in your heart."

"Whoever she is, I'm sure she's more nervous to meet us than we are to meet her." Reid added, sipping his third coffee of the morning.

"Of course she is." Rossi chimed in. "Look at us, we've already decided that we're not going to like her as much as Emily." His sarcasm was duly noted and Garcia decided to drop the conversation. The five could see their Unit Chief pacing his office in anticipation of his new agent's arrival. Adding new agents to this team was always difficult. They were a family and introducing someone into the mix- into their lives- hadn't gone too well in the past. Hotch had selected this agent himself, which did make the situation a lot less stressful for everyone, but even he wasn't perfect.

"Look, we barely know anything about her." JJ added. "All we know is that she's young, ex-CIA, and specifically requested our unit. That's not nearly enough to be judging her."

"Good thing I'm an open book then." A new, smoky voice caused the agents to turn around. As the BAU took in the woman before them, Hotch made his way to the bullpen and offered her a genuine smile.

"Agent Thorne," he reached out and shook her hand, "it's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." The woman responded, noticing the five pairs of eyes that remained on her. As they each stood and introduced themselves, the BAU made observations about their new teammate. The first thing everyone noticed was that she was tall- easily over 5'9 even without her heeled boots. Her slightly curly, dark hair cascaded endlessly down her back and her jade eyes seemed to be able to take in everything with ease. There was no question- the woman was beautiful- but her youth seemed to come as a surprise to most of the BAU. They knew she was 25 but didn't anticipate that she would actually look it. Her skin was slightly tanned, although they couldn't tell if that was natural or because of recent exposure to the sun, and her face sported little to no make up. She wore a black pantsuit with an emerald blouse which only succeeding in enhancing the brightness of her eyes. A single diamond pendant hung around her neck, elegant and regal, as well as a pair of matching earrings. However, if they looked closer, the BAU could see that she had, at one point in her life, at least five or six other piercings around her ears. As they concluded their overly polite introductions and Hotch and Ava made their way to his office, the remaining five sat in silence.

"Is anyone else having Wonder Woman flashbacks?" Garcia was the first to speak when they knew they couldn't be heard. JJ raised her eyebrows as she nodded, slightly intimidated by the younger, taller woman.

"How are we _ever_ going to get any work done?" Morgan remarked, nudging Reid's arm. The boy genius, surprisingly, nodded his head in agreement as he shrugged.

"Down, boy." JJ quipped. "Notice the ring on her finger?" Morgan's eyes narrowed as he offered the blonde a mischievous look.

"Soccer has a goalie," he smirked, "doesn't mean you can't score." JJ and Garcia both slapped a shoulder in response.

"You're vile." JJ admonished him as he laughed.

"I'm only kidding, Sunshine." The man said. "But still, she is definitely something."

"Yea," Rossi agreed, "like a magnet for trouble. Did you see the scars on her upper lip and wrists?"

"So we really did trade in one Emily for another, huh?" Morgan crossed his arms, eager to learn more about their new teammate's past.

"She did say she was an open book." JJ shrugged. "You could just ask her where they came from."

"No one's _that_ open of a book." Morgan disagreed with a frown. "I'm sure she has some skeletons she's not exactly keen to share with us."

"Can you blame her?" Reid asked. "We literally just met. Besides, I'm sure there's things we aren't exactly forthcoming with about our pasts."

"Yea," Morgan added, "but we could be putting our lives in her hands in the next hour for all we know so personally, I'd like to learn a little more about her."

"Well here's your chance, Choco-licious." Garcia mumbled under her breath as Thorne shut the door to Hotch's office and began to approach them.

"So," the newest member of the BAU drew their attention, "Agent Hotchner said there was a desk I could use?"

"Oh right," Reid immediately hopped off Emily's old desk and ushered Garcia to do the same. "Here you go." He then proceeded to hold the chair out for her. Thorne sat with a smile and placed the small box of possessions she had brought on the floor.

"So, Ava," Morgan rolled his chair over to her, "can I call you Ava?"

"Only if I can call you 'choco-licious'." She joked, catching the man off guard. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice Garcia's face. "Just kidding."

"Right." Morgan chuckled awkwardly. As Ava began organizing her things, Morgan glanced at the others for help. JJ almost groaned aloud as she decided to come to his rescue.

"So you used to work for the CIA?" The blonde tried to initiate conversation. "How was that?"

"Oh you know," Ava didn't look up as she continued to unpack, "just a bunch of suits with noodles for brains and trigger-happy fingers."

"We had a friend who worked for them for a while." Rossi added. "She felt pretty much the same way."

"You mean Emily Prentiss." Ava stated more than asked. When Rossi nodded, she continued. "I know of her. We all do."

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked, his curiosity getting the best of him again.

"Everyone at Langley knows Emily Prentiss. She's kind of a superstar." The BAU had never known this and their faces communicated as much. "You guys are pretty lucky to have had her on your team."

"More than lucky." Garcia added, somewhat tensely. Ava offered her a grin instead of responding in kind. As the new agent finished arranging her things, she sat up straight and placed her hands on her thighs.

"So, I assume there are some questions you'd all like to ask me." Her statement, once again, caught the group off guard. "Agent Hotchner told me you guys are more like a family than a team. I wasn't kidding when I said I was an open book. I know that earning your trust won't be as simple as retelling the oh-so-riveting stories of my past but I figured it's a start."

"Right well," Morgan cleared his throat, "now that you mention it, that might not be such a bad idea." Ava nodded once.

"Ok well," she crossed her legs gracefully, "what do you want to know?"

Over an hour later the BAU had learned nearly everything there was to know about Agent Ava Thorne. For starters, she was an orphan and had been for several years. Her parents worked at an international consulting firm and had died in a car accident two days before Ava's twenty-first birthday. She had been recruited by the CIA when she was still in college and joined a few months later. For the past four years, she had been working on human trafficking cases as an infiltrator- meaning her job was to pose as a victim and purposely get kidnapped. Because of her, four trafficking rings had been shut down in just as many years- a record for any agency. Only when Rossi had asked why she left the CIA did Ava become even remotely uncomfortable. She stated that it was complicated and involved issues during her last assignment. Understanding that this was a part of her life that she would not divulge so easily, Rossi retracted the question. JJ's question, however, was answered immediately. The blonde was genuinely curious as to how she had managed to convince four human trafficking rings that she was a target- not an agent. Ava almost chuckled.

"I'm a chameleon." She stated plainly. "I blend in when need be and stand out when necessary. Whatever or whoever I need to be, I become it. It's always been rather easy for me actually."

"Pretending to be someone else?" Morgan questioned, equally intrigued but wary.

"Pretty much." Ava shrugged. "I speak five languages and have no problem changing my appearance for whatever purpose we needed to fulfill. After that, it's all just understanding body language and social cues."

"How is it that simple?" Garcia asked, interested in her story despite her apprehensions towards the woman.

"Take a typical human trafficking victim." She began to explain.

"But there isn't one." Rossi interrupted. "Traffickers take everyone. They don't discriminate."

"They do, they just don't know that they do." Ava corrected. "The four rings I infiltrated all had types, whether it was intentional or not. One would prefer their victims to be social butterflies. It made them easier to track down and catch. Another unknowingly targeted extremely introverted people knowing that the chances of someone reporting them missing was significantly lower. It's all about knowing your enemy, really. If you know what they're looking for, what their type is, then you can become it in no time."

"But how?" Garcia pressed. "How can you just…erase who you are and force yourself to be someone else for months?" Ava shrugged nonchalantly once more.

"I'm not the profiler but, if I had to guess, I'd say that it has something to do with my borderline crippling need to please everyone in addition to my abhorrently long history of low self-esteem that makes it so easy to shed one skin and put another on." The group was silent, taken aback by her blunt and honest self-evaluation. "Basically, I always wanted to be someone else and found a job that paid me to do it."

"Well," Rossi swallowed hard, "you certainly sound like a profiler to me." Ava smiled, seemingly unfazed by the reaction the team had to her assessment. When she told them she was willing to share, she meant it. Even Morgan was pleased with the amount they had learned about their new teammate.

"Everyone," Hotch's voice echoed in the almost empty bullpen. When the six looked up at their boss, he added, "we have a case. Conference room in five."

"Is this the part where we assemble?" Ava's comic book joke was not ignored as Reid beamed a toothy grin at her.

"Yea, pretty much." Morgan patted her on the back as they rose from their seats. Ava couldn't help but smile, already liking her new team and glad she had gotten most of the awkward stuff out of the way. She almost winced as she remembered the handful of the things she hadn't shared, dreading the moment when she wouldn't have a choice.


	2. Chapter 2

I'll be posting the first few chapters to try to accumulate some interest so please review and let me know what you think. I'm currently on chapter 16 so there's definitely enough story to go around! However, I will most likely be changing the rating to M since this isn't exactly for the faint of heart.

 **Chapter 2**

It didn't take long for the BAU's new addition to be taken aback by the irony of their case. Of course her first assignment with the FBI would be stopping a serial killer who targets homosexual women. She almost laughed aloud at the odds. She was unsure as to whether her sexuality was obvious to the group of profilers. Typically, people would not assume that she sometimes preferred the fairer sex. However, this was not a typical group of people. As the six got comfortable around the jet, Ava glanced from one face to another for any signs of discomfort or judgement. Looking especially hard at Agent Jareau, or JJ as she had been asked to be called, Ava discerned that they either did not know or simply didn't care. Speaking of Agent Jareau, her new teammate bore a strikingly uncomfortable resemblance to her fiancée, Kate. The almost platinum, blonde hair, stunning blue eyes, and petite frame were only a start. Both Kate and JJ possessed a knowing glint in their eyes as if they could see parts of you that weren't laid bare. When Ava had first met Katherine McGrath, it had been slightly difficult to make eye contact with the woman. The brunette was afraid that she could see into her very soul, her eyes an endless blue that you could almost fall into. Now, as she stole glance after glance at the only other woman on the plane, Ava felt the same uneasy feeling creep back into her. When the blonde almost caught her staring, Ava mentally admonished herself and instead, tried to focus on the upcoming case.

The team arrived in Dallas, Texas at around midnight. While everyone was tired, they agreed it would be best to meet with the local police department and set up before heading to their accommodations. The large building which held the precinct was fairly empty given the hour and the BAU quickly made their way to the bullpen.

"I'm looking for Sargent Edmonds." Hotch's voice seemed to echo, demanding the attention of everyone in the room.

"You must be Agent Hotchner." A large man with almost no hair approached them, hand extended. Hotch shook it briefly before introducing the rest of the team. Edmonds brought them to a room that had already been set up for them and ensured them that the entire precinct had been briefed before their arrival. While the larger man seemed slightly disappointed that they would not begin working tonight, he said nothing of the sort and bid them goodnight. Already tired from their trip, the BAU piled back into their SUVs without a word and began their brief drive to the hotel they would be staying at for the remainder of the case. As hotel key cards were being handed out, JJ was the first to speak in over an hour.

"They didn't have enough space for each of us to get our own rooms so they put us together." She told the new agent. "I hope you don't mind." Ava, somewhat distracted as she had just finished sending a goodnight text to Kate, nodded once.

"Of course not." The brunette swung her bag over a shoulder and followed her blonde companion to the seventh floor. The women unpacked what they needed for the night in silence, unsure as to what to say to one another, until JJ's curiosity got the better of her.

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Ava held her breath, "what's your fiancé's name?"

"Oh." Ava was both relieved and worried at the question JJ had chosen to ask.

"You don't have to tell me." JJ said quickly, sensing the woman's discomfort. "I didn't mean to pry, just-"

"No, no it's not that." Ava chuckled softly as she searched for her elusive toothbrush. "My fiancée's name is Kate. Well, it's Katherine but no one calls her that. You remind of her, actually."

"Oh." JJ took in the younger woman's red cheeks and fidgeting hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume…"

"Assume that I was straight?" Ava offered the blonde a grin, hoping to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, you're not the first. You're also not completely incorrect."

"So you're…bisexual." Ava rolled her wrist in order to get the woman to say the word, ensuring her that it was not an insult. The phrase, however, came out as more of a question than a statement.

"Yes," Ava said, "but Kate isn't." JJ nodded slowly, unsure as to what to say next. Ava misunderstood her reaction and crossed her arms protectively around herself. "I've made you uncomfortable." Another statement that sounded more like a question. JJ shot up immediately, waving her hands in the air.

"No, no!" she insisted. "I'm not uncomfortable."

"I can get another room." Ava made a move to reach for her bag, having only unpacked two or three things since their arrival. JJ was faster and caught the woman by the arm.

"No, don't." the blonde pressed. "Really, I'm not uncomfortable in the slightest. It's just that…well where I grew up, people weren't really free to be themselves."

"You've…never met someone who isn't straight?" Ava raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"Well, no one who's felt the need to tell me." The blonde tried to defend herself. "But I'm nothing like them. Your sexuality means as much to me as the color of your hair." Ava chuckled at the analogy, satisfied that her new teammate didn't find her repulsive. She nodded and continued unpacking her things before another thought struck older agent.

"People have done that to you?" Ava threw the blonde a questioning look. "Asked you to leave places?"

"Yes." She said, matter-of-factly. "Not everyone's as accepting as you."

"That's…pretty messed up." JJ concluded with a single nod from the brunette at her side. She couldn't imagine being discriminated against over who she loved. "I'm sorry that's happened to you."

"It's really ok." Ava smiled, genuinely surprised at the depth of the woman's compassion. Ava didn't really have many friends growing up and the number decreased when she had started experimenting with her sexuality in college. It was strange to feel so welcomed and accepted with someone she had just met earlier that day. The blonde had a way of calming the people around her, ensuring that they felt safe and cared for regardless of how long she'd known them. Ava smiled at the woman once more, glad to be on the same team as someone like her, as the two finished their unpacking and eventually, fell into a brief but restful sleep.

Within an hour or so of arriving at the station, the team's only course of action was clear and Ava, once again, suppressed the urge to laugh at the circumstances.

"We should send in two of our own tonight under the guise of a couple." Edmonds suggested. Hotch nodded once, his eyes dancing towards the newest addition to their team. "They can draw him out and we'll catch him red-handed."

"I agree." Hotch said. "I'd like to send in Agent Thorne, if that's alright with you." Edmonds glanced at the youngest in the room and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" his voice was low as if Ava couldn't hear him if he whispered. Hotch crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly.

"Agent Thorne worked for the CIA for the past three years where she repeatedly infiltrated human trafficking rings by posing as a potential victim. I'm sure she can handle one man." Ava was slightly confounded by the way her new boss rose to her defense. She cast the man a sidelong glance and fought the urge to smile. Edmonds merely huffed as he walked away, presumably to find a partner for Ava to work with.

"If it's alright with you, Agent Hotchner, I'd like Agent Jareau to accompany me." The BAU turned to her, quizzical looks in their eyes.

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea." Hotch frowned. "JJ's never had to pose as someone else before."

"I'm sure she has more experience than the three other women in this precinct. Besides," Ava shifted her gaze to the blonde who seemed more like a fish out of a water than a federal agent, "I trust her."

"You only just met me yesterday." JJ said questioningly. Ava grinned.

"I'm a good judge of character." The brunette placed her hands on her hips. "You wouldn't have to _be_ someone else, per say. Just…change one part of yourself. I'm sure you're more than capable."

"Capable of being attracted to women?" JJ asked, almost jokingly. Ava repressed another chuckle and instead settled for,

"There's a joke in there somewhere." The rest of the BAU watched the exchange with a mix of intrigue, confusion, and, in Morgan's case, interest.

"I vote yes." The dark skinned man felt the need to add his opinion only to earn a glare from the blonde at his side.

"I suppose," Hotch thought out loud, "it couldn't hurt to see how well the two of you work together."

"We'll need a change of clothes," Ava stated, "and I hope you brought more makeup than I did."

"What did you bring?" JJ asked as the two began to make their way out of the precinct in search of decent club wear.

"Nothing." The brunette shrugged. JJ scoffed aloud as she shook her head and said,

"Of course." The blonde caught the perplexed look on the younger agent's face and almost laughed at her perceived ignorance. The only thing that stopped her was the growing anxiety at the thought of what would transpire tonight. Ava might be confident in her abilities but that most certainly didn't mean that she was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Several hours later and the women of the BAU were finally ready. Ava had purchased a pair of black skinny jeans, a red midriff top that showed a bit of her tanned stomach, a black leather jacket, and a pair of suede, black, heeled boots. Her hair had been straightened and now almost reached her hips. JJ had opted for- after much guidance from her partner- a pair of stiletto heels with a lacy, azure top, and a form-fitting pair of black jeans. She had tied her hair up into a high ponytail, the blonde trail swinging behind her as she walked. The two looked the parts they were trying to play enough for Morgan to make several comments and for Reid to avoid eye contact with either one of them until they left. Now, as they waited on line at a gay club situated in the center of their unsub's hunting ground, the two women glanced at one another uneasily. While this was certainly not Ava's first rodeo, the last thing she wanted was to make her new partner uneasy or wary of her. It was certainly not ideal to have their first assignment together be one of such personal nature. JJ, on the other hand, was more afraid of messing up the case than her future relationship with Ava. She doubted that this assignment would negatively affect them in the long run. The blonde even went as far as to surprise the newest BAU member by taking her hand in hers and holding it tightly against her hip. Ava, unsure as to how far the older agent was willing to go to convince people of their "relationship", offered her a tight lipped grin as they made their way into the boisterous club.

 _"_ _Remember, the two of you are an established couple, not a pair of teenagers on your first date."_ Rossi's voice sounded in both ears, causing the women to smile as they approached the bar, hand in hand. _"Try to be a little less awkward."_ The older man pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched the two on the surveillance cameras they had been given access to.

"Yes sir." Ava saluted jokingly causing JJ to bit her lip to keep from chuckling. The brunette pulled out the bar stool for her "girlfriend" and even gave the woman a quick kiss on the cheek as she sat down. Ignoring the blush that suddenly appeared on JJ's face as well as the "that's more like it" that echoed in their ears, Ava ordered their drinks and retook JJ's hand in hers.

"So," the blonde had to shout to be heard, "what kind of guy are we looking for?"

"Uh," Ava lifted an eyebrow, "any _guy_ in here should automatically be considered." JJ took a quick scan of the room and almost slapped her own forehead.

"Right." She shook her head slightly. "What do we do when we see one?"

"We should probably hang back at first, make sure he's a potential target." Ava's gaze never left hers, the smoky makeup she had applied making her eyes that much more captivating. "If we think it could be him, we'll have to get his attention somehow."

 _"_ _I don't think getting anyone's attention is going to be much of a problem."_ Morgan's voice chimed in. The women rolled their eyes, JJ opening her mouth to rebuke him until she realized that he wasn't trying to be coy. As the two studied the room, they noticed that they were, in fact, drawing quite a bit of attention. It made the blonde blush, as it always did, to have so many people look at her in such a way. Ava, however, seemed either oblivious or indifferent to the stares they were receiving. JJ found herself wondering just how often the younger woman frequented places such as this. The thought was dispelled as soon as Ava spoke again.

"Oh, Lord." The brunette rolled her eyes, as well as her entire head, as JJ frowned in confusion. It wasn't until a pair of cold hands found her waist that she realized what Ava was referring to.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," a singsong voice appeared as the person who owned it moved to stand beside both women. Her hand, however, had not left JJ's waist and the blonde raised an eyebrow at the thumb that stroked her skin. "I just saw the two of you and _had_ to come tell you- you're easily the most attractive couple here."

"Why, thank you." Ava's voice was uncharacteristically sweet. JJ simply remained motionless, casting the occasional dubious glare at the woman who was still touching her.

"I was just wondering," JJ, who had never stepped foot inside a lesbian club, could already see where this was headed, "if you were interested in any additional company tonight?" Ava smiled at the woman as she stood. Believing this to be an affirmation of her interest in the proposal, the woman placed her other hand around Ava's waist and pulled her closer, a sly smile appearing on her heavily glossed lips. Ava, however, was well versed in speaking to- and rejecting- women like her. She slowly reached around, removed the woman's hand from JJ's side, and gave the woman a slight shoulder squeeze.

"If it was any other night, we'd take you up on that in a heartbeat." Ava lied. "But I'm afraid tonight is sort of a special night for us and we'd really just like to spend it together."

"Oh," the woman was clearly disappointed but had fallen for the pretense, "well then hopefully I'll see you here another time then."

"Yes, hopefully." Ava offered the shorter woman a smile only to receive a playful kiss on the corner of her lips in return. Ava waved goodbye to the woman as she turned and made a show of walking away before sitting back down and swiping a hand across her lips.

 _"_ _Did that really just happen? Rossi, tell me that just happened."_ Morgan could be heard asking, seemingly unaware that they could still hear him. Rossi shushed him at once. JJ had to place a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"Some people can be so rude." Ava shook her head in disappointment. By then, their drinks had arrived and the brunette took a generous gulp of hers before handing JJ's over.

"Don't go getting drunk on me now." JJ joked. "We're lucky Hotch even let us order real drinks."

"I don't think ordering a seltzer water would go over too well if we're trying to blend in." Ava tapped her glass against JJ's and took another swing. JJ sipped hers, nose wrinkling at its potency, as she scanned the crowd once more in search of a man in a sea of women.

"What did you mean when you called that woman rude?" JJ asked curiously. Ava looked up at her from her glass.

"You've never encountered a guy who came up to you when you clearly didn't want to be approached?" JJ nodded. "It's pretty much the same thing. Walking up to a couple and asking to be invited into their bedroom is more than blunt- it's impolite. If they want you there, they'll ask."

"A field in which you have some experience, I gather?" the blonde practically mumbled as she took another sip of her gin. Ava laughed wholeheartedly.

"It'll take at least another four of these to get that conversation rolling." Ava sidestepped the question, much to JJ's amusement.

 _"_ _You've got a blonde guy entering now from the south side of the building."_ Rossi's statement brought them both of out of the light-hearted nature of their conversation and back to the reason they were there. Ava knew better than to turn around and look at the man so instead she relied on JJ, who was already facing in that direction, to spot him. She offered her partner at slight nod when she caught sight of him, taking another small sip of her drink in the process. Several minutes passed in silence as both women made an effort to observe the newcomer.

 _"_ _Another one just came in- same side."_ Rossi informed them. The two women had already noticed the second man and frowned slightly. What were the chances of two men entering a lesbian club in the same night?

"Don't worry," Ava said softly, "I'm sure one of them is just looking to become a unicorn."

"Unicorn?" JJ asked only to receive a raised eyebrow.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Ava finished her drink in one swallow before taking JJ's out of her hand and placing it on the bar along with a generous tip. "Come on. We're losing them." She stood, grabbed the blonde's hand, and led her towards the dancefloor.

"One's down by the table closest to the bathrooms." JJ said as soon as she caught sight of him. Ava nodded her acknowledgement as her eyes scoured the crowd for the second man. With her heels she was almost six feel tall and effortlessly towered over most of the gyrating bodies. Ava skidded to a stop, having found the man lounging on an armchair, and felt JJ's hands go to her waist to keep from barreling into her. Ava turned swiftly, purposely easing closer to the blonde to be able to speak without being overheard and to maintain their cover.

"The second one's hanging out by the exit, facing the dancefloor." Ava told her. JJ made an effort to look around her partner but saw nothing except dancing bodies.

"Which one do you think it is?" the blonde asked, following Ava's lead and beginning to sway to the music. Ava seemed to think for a moment, placing a hand on JJ's waist and almost retracting it when she felt skin instead of lace.

"I'd say the one by the exit." Securing her arm around JJ, the brunette pulled her as close as she could, feeling the blonde's pounding heart against her chest. "I'm going to try to get us a better view." As she spoke, she began easing their way through the crowd to where they knew their potential unsub would be watching, their bodies weaving as if they were one.

 _"_ _Be careful. Don't get too close, you don't want him to make you."_ Rossi's instructions were both unnecessary and distracting. Ava made a face and JJ was sure that if she could, the brunette would've already removed the ear piece. As they neared the edge of the dancefloor, Ava turned JJ around so that both women could see the man if they turned their heads. Neither made a move to look at him though and Ava smiled at the blonde, knowing that she had the makings of a great undercover operative.

"You're better at this than you give yourself credit for." She said, feeling the blonde jump at the closeness of her voice. JJ chuckled. Ava, although keen to hear what JJ had to say, could almost feel the man's gaze on them. They had caught his attention like a mouse in a trap. Now all they had to do was snap it shut.

"I've danced with women before, Ava." The younger agent shook her head with a laugh.

"I meant the whole undercover thing," she offered her partner a sly look, "although I am willing to hear about these other women." JJ's blush was immediate and intense and Ava worried that she had crossed a line with the blonde. Thinking twice about it, what line could she be crossing with mere words when the two were, quite literally, pressed up against one another like actual lovers?

"I'm afraid there won't be much to those stories." JJ retorted with a shake of the head. Suddenly, the look in her blue gaze changed and Ava could tell that something was wrong. "He's leaving." Ava frowned, resisting the urge to turn her head and look.

"We've got to do something." She said in a hushed tone. "If he loses interest in us, there's no telling who he'll target next."

"What do we do?" JJ asked, unsure as to how to proceed given her inexperience. Ava threw the blonde a knowing look.

"We have to cause a scene." Ava concluded, much to JJ's surprise. "What did you think I was going to suggest?"

"Uh, nothing." Ava would've laughed out loud had the situation been less precarious. "What kind of scene?"

"Ever seen a movie where some girl loses her shit in a bar and the music stops and everyone stares?" JJ nodded slowly. "That kind of scene." As Ava waited for JJ to react, the man continued to get further and further away. "Now, JJ." Without another word the blonde reached out, grabbed a drink from the nearest cocktail waitress, and proceeded to throw the liquid straight into Ava's face. The brunette sputtered, more than slightly startled, and wiped the burning alcohol from her eyes.

"What the hell was that for?!" the brunette shouted, knowing full well what it was about. Her cry was loud enough to attract the attention of those around her, but not nearly dramatic enough to reach the ears of the rest.

"Do you think I can't see how you're looking at her?!" JJ yelled. "Are you honestly going to pretend like you haven't been checking out every other woman who looks in your general direction?!"

"We are _not_ doing this again!" Ava demanded, eyes darting around in search of their target. "Stop causing a scene for no reason!"

"'No reason'?!" JJ scoffed. "How would you feel if I had the wandering hands of a teenage boy and a sex drive to match?!"

"Jennifer, you're being dramatic." Ava insisted, the crowd of people listening in on their argument growing by the second. "Would I be with you if I didn't love you?"

"You tell me!" JJ threw her arms up for emphasis, almost hitting the woman behind her and succeeding in attracting even more attention. "Were you thinking about how much you _loved me_ when you grabbed that woman's ass before?!" Ava was trying her best to remain serious but the blonde's enthusiasm made it difficult. "Didn't think I noticed that, did you?!"

"This is _exactly_ why I never want to go out with you!" Ava approached her, seemingly menacing. "Big deal, I look at other women! Would you prefer I gauge my eyes out instead?!"

"I'd prefer you keep it in your pants and not go around trying to screw everything that moves!" At this, and at seeing that almost the entire club was now focused on them, Ava grabbed JJ's arm as aggressively as she could without actually hurting the woman.

"That's enough!" Ava cried, her gaze narrowing. "We're leaving. Maybe when you calm down we can have an actual, _rational_ discussion about this."

"Why, afraid that everyone here will learn just how much of a-" JJ's protest was cut off as a large, balding man stepped up to them, hand on each of their shoulders.

"Out." He said plainly. "Now." Already escorting the women towards the exit, Ava caught a glimpse of their potential unsub. He was staring, mouth wide open at their display. Almost positive that this was their man, Ava pretended to stumble as the much larger bouncer dragged her and JJ to the door. She tripped, falling straight into the unsub's arms. Instinctually, he caught her but as she looked up at his face, she could see the disgust at the thought of being touched by her. Shoving her off of him, Ava almost smiled. Why would a man who's disgusted by homosexuality be skulking in a lesbian club? He wouldn't…not unless he had ulterior motives.

After being forcefully shoved outside, Ava and JJ righted their clothes before looking at one another.

"Came pretty close to some dangerous waters there, huh?" Ava joked as a look of panic flashed across JJ's features.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult-"

"JJ," Ava said slowly, "I'm kidding. You were awesome." As the two heard the door at their backs open and close, Ava whispered, "but the show's not over yet." The two women began walking away from the club and into the street where they hoped the unsub would follow.

"The alley a block away." JJ mumbled. "Should be a safe enough place for him to want to attack us." Ava nodded, taking hold of JJ's arm once more.

"He'll be watching us the whole way. Don't break character." JJ immediately yanked her arm away violently and even gave Ava a shove on the shoulder. The two continued their walk several feet apart, maintain their guise, until the alley JJ had remembered came into view.

"Pull me into the alley." JJ instructed much to Ava's surprise. Ava did as instructed and the two stumbled as far back into the narrow passage as possible.

"See what you did," JJ raised her voice, "you got us kicked out."

" _I_ got us kicked out?" Ava crossed her arms. "That's funny because I distinctly remember _you_ throwing a bitch fit and attracting the attention of literally everyone in there!"

"I wouldn't have to throw a fit if you weren't such a slut!" JJ almost winced at the sentence but Ava didn't even blink.

"You didn't seem to care when it was _you_ I was grabbing at clubs." Ava brought herself almost nose to nose with the blonde. "Or is it only acceptable when _you're_ the one getting all the attention?" JJ, unable to think of an adequate reply, wound back a hand and slapped Ava slightly harder than she had intended across the face. The younger agent had seen it coming and even hoped that their argument would reach its natural progression. It didn't stop the blonde from cringing at the action. Ava, seemingly done arguing with her lover, turned on her heels to leave the alley only to come face to face with the man who had been following them. He was tall, at least six foot two, and wore an all black suit. His hair was rustled and jet black, his eyes narrow slits of gold. Both hands were in his pockets and the women were wary of them almost immediately.

"Can I help you?" Ava spat at the man. "Can't you see we're a little busy here?"

"All I see is two whores who need to be cleansed." The man's voice was low and menacing as he removed a knife from his left pocket. He began to toy with it, picking at his nails, as he turned to face the entrance of the alley. "Isn't that right, Matt?" Suddenly, a second man, somewhat familiar to the agents, turned the corner. JJ and Ava exchanged glances, neither of them anticipating a duo.

"Cleansed?" Ava asked innocently as she backed into JJ. The urge to protect the blonde wasn't entirely because of their cover.

"Yes, cleansed." The first man responded. "And the only way to do that is through blood." The second man, Matt, also drew a knife from his pocket. He tilted his head as he took in the two women before him and offered them a yellow smile. That was when they recognized him- the bartender who had served them their drinks.

"Just like the blood of Christ cleansed the earth of sin," Matt opened his arms in a welcoming manner, "so will your blood cleanse your souls of your sins."

"Blood?" JJ grabbed Ava's arm, seemingly afraid. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

"We're going to save you." The first man insisted. "We're going to make sure that you can never sin again. But first, we're going to teach you just how wrong it is to defy God in such a way."

"Yo-you're going to _kill_ us?" Ava's voice shook intentionally, knowing that they needed outright proof before they could arrest the two. Both men grinned, approaching the women.

"Eventually." The first man nodded. "But what's a lesson without proper punishment?" The confirmation was more than enough and both women dropped their act and stood up straight.

"You're both under arrest." JJ said matter-of-factly, pulling her badge out of her purse as Ava did the same.

"FBI?!" Matt cried, casting a panicked look at his partner in crime. "You've got to be fucking joking."

"The only joke here, gentlemen, is _you_." Ava narrowed her eyes at the men. For JJ, this was just another arrest. For Ava, this was much more than that. Not only was it the first time she had worked with someone else so directly to catch an unsub, but this was personal. They had attacked and killed seven women just because of their sexuality- a sexuality that Ava shared.

"Put the knives down," JJ demanded, "our team is already on their way." The first man, presumably the alpha, took a large step towards the blonde.

"Then they can take what's left of you home in a box." He snarled and leapt forward. JJ, anticipating the move, sidestepped away from the man. Ava sprung forward, attacking the second without a moment's hesitation. She grabbed his knife hand and twisted as hard as she could. Although the arm moved, Matt was stronger than he looked and Ava realized too late that he was most likely ambidextrous. His left hand swung back and landed a solid punch to Ava's jaw, knocking out the ear wig just as she heard Rossi shouting at someone to drive faster. The woman stumbled back, releasing his hand. Jumping backward to avoid the slashing knife, Ava glanced back at JJ to see how she was fairing with the larger man.

The blonde had managed to somehow disarm the brute. However, he was still standing and angrier than ever. He lunged forward, hands out in search of JJ's neck. The blonde evaded him just in time, swung a fist back, and connected it with the side of his head. The man grunted as he fell to his knees but rose almost immediately. JJ was able to elude punch after punch until, finally, one caught her in the gut. The blonde doubled over, a single cough escaping her lips, before the man's hands were around her throat. Forcing her back against the wall of the alley, the man tightened his grip and JJ's vision quickly began to fail her. She reached out, clawing at the man's face and eyes, only to receive a knee to the same area he had previously hit. JJ opened her mouth wide in an attempt to draw more air into her lungs. Just as she felt her body going limp, a loud crack sounded above her and the man's hold on her was gone. As her knees gave out, JJ felt a pair of hands catch and hold her upright. When the coughing fit had passed, she looked up to see the slightly bloodied face of Ava Thorne gazing down at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" Ava asked, panting as she heard the sirens approaching. JJ nodded as she continued to suck in breath after breath of precious air.

"You?" she asked the brunette, taking in the bruised jaw, cut lip, and rapidly forming black eye. Ava scoffed.

"This?" she indicated to her face. "Just a scratch." Despite the pain in her ribs, JJ let out an animated laugh. As the men of the BAU raced to the end of the alleyway, they exchanged glances with one another. There were few women who would get into a fist fight with serial killers and be found laughing about it immediately after. Thankfully, the BAU had two of them.

Thanks for reading if you're still with me! I'll be posting more tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to take a look at my other CM stories!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Hotch had all but forced the two to be checked out by the EMTs who had arrived. It took a small miracle to get him to skip the hospital visit when the EMTs told him that JJ most likely had a few cracked ribs and Ava a fractured jaw on top of the other bruises that marred their faces. Both unconscious unsubs had woken up by the time they were being transported to a vehicle. Matt, blood still pouring from his nose, shot daggers at the women as he was carted off. The other man shouted curses and threats at the women, particularly Ava.

"I'll kill you, you filthy whore!" he cried as he was manhandled into the car. "You wait and see! I'll find you!"

"Now where have I heard that before?" Ava rolled a wrist as she walked past the man without even a glance. The audacity and disinterest, especially from someone so new and young, came as a surprise to the rest of the BAU. As she approached them, tying her hair into a ponytail, their looks of bewilderment stopped her in her tracks.

"What?" she said suddenly. "Is there something on my face?" Morgan burst out laughing, glad to finally be free of the tension of the case.

"Yea, a giant ass bruise." He dropped his heavy arm around her shoulders. Ava chuckled up at him.

"Wanna match?" she shrugged the shoulder off playfully and approached JJ who was still sitting on the curb, ignoring the laughter from the rest of the team. The blonde made a move to stand but Ava waved her back down and sat beside her.

"How's your face?" the blonde said with a slight grin.

"Hurts. How's your chest?" Ava glanced down as the blonde removed an ice pack from her ribs.

"Alright," JJ shrugged slightly, "not exactly above average but my husband doesn't seem to mind." It took a second for the younger woman to catch JJ's lewd joke but when she did, Ava erupted into a fit of laughter that was easily contagious. As JJ laughed, she pressed a hand to her side in an attempt to lessen the pain.

"You're worse than I am." Ava concluded, helping lift the woman to her feet. JJ shook her head, the now skewed ponytail waving back and forth.

"I don't know about that." The blonde frowned playfully.

"Hey, you're the one who called me a slut." Ava shot back with a grin.

"You're lucky that's all you got for trying to cheat on me." JJ shrugged, wincing as her ribs protested. Ava chuckled once more only to be stopped by JJ's hand on her arm. The blonde turned the woman to face her and Ava could tell that she was no longer kidding. "You saved me back there."

"I'm sure you would've figured it out yourself. I'm just impatient." Ava joked but the seriousness of the blonde's tone was not lost on her.

"No, I don't think I would have." She admitted. "Thank you. Really."

"What are partners for?" Ava shrugged a shoulder, unaccustomed to being thanked. JJ could sense the woman's uneasiness but reached out and wrapped her arms around her nonetheless. When she finally let go, the playfulness had returned to her eyes and she said,

"Apparently for grinding on in clubs." The two laughed once more as they joined the rest of their team.

"So, drinks when we get back to D.C?" Morgan proposed as the women approached. The looks on their faces seemed unwilling so he added, "Come on, it's newbie's first collar. It's tradition!"

"Since when?" Reid questioned, his look genuinely concerned that he had missed something. Morgan simply slapped him on the back.

"Since now. What do you say?"

"I never did get to finish my drink in there." JJ pouted, nudging Ava with her good side. The brunette shrugged.

"I rarely turn that offer down." Morgan hollered joyfully as he roped in Rossi and Hotch.

"Alright!" he grinned. "Newbie's buying!" Ava rolled her eyes at the new name, both hoping that it wouldn't stick and overjoyed to have been accepted into their family. If all it took to gain their trust was to be beaten by a man twice her size, Ava would've showed up to her first day black and blue.

That night, after a hearty few rounds of drinks had been dispersed, Ava arrived back at her apartment quite late. It was almost four in the morning and she figured that Kate would be asleep seeing as the woman was up at six every morning at the latest. Therefore, it came a slight surprise to her when she got out of the car and saw almost every light in the apartment on. She frowned as she turned the key, poking her head in and calling out Kate's name. The blonde came flying down the hall and immediately rounded on her unsuspecting fiancée.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?!" As Ava closed the door behind her and turned around, Kate gasped at the sight of her bruised face. "Oh my god!"

"Kate, I'm fine." She insisted. "It's just a couple of bruises." Ava dropped her bags and went to embrace the woman only to be swatted away.

"'Just a couple of bruises'?!" Kate cried. "I've been waiting for you for _hours_ since you told me you were leaving. Last time I checked, the flight from Dallas to D.C takes four hours, not nine!"

"Kate, I told you I was getting drinks with the team after we landed." Ava sighed. "I even told you not to wait up because I knew I'd be late."

"And when did you happen to tell me this piece of information?" Kate tilted her head. "In between you getting your ass handed to you by god knows what kind of criminal and getting drunk with your new best friends?"

"Getting my…I'll have you know that I took down not just one, but _two_ murderers who were killing people just like _us_." Ava tossed up her annoyance to exhaustion, alcohol, and the pain radiating from her face, but refused to relent as she pulled out her cell phone. Scrolling through her texts, she selected Kate's name and passed the blonde the phone. When Kate saw that she had, in fact, sent her a message as soon as they'd landed informing her that she wouldn't be coming straight home, the blonde blushed furiously and lowered her head.

"Wh-what do you mean 'people like us'?" Ava knew better than to expect an apology from the woman. Kate wasn't accustomed to being proven wrong.

"Gays, homosexuals, whores, sinners," Ava rattled off a few of the terminology as she entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, "take your pick."

"Sinners?" Kate lifted an eyebrow as she placed a careful hand on her fiancée's waist. Ava took a large gulp before responding, her back still facing the woman.

"That's what they called us." Ava shrugged. "Don't worry about it, they're both going to prison for quite a long time."

"I'm not worried." Kate informed her. "Are you?" Ava's anger flared once again as she turned to face the blonde.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the agent anticipated what came next as Kate cautiously treaded forward.

"I mean, you don't have to be a 'sinner'." She averted her gaze. "You could be with someone else."

"And by 'someone else' you mean a man." Ava knew the conversation almost by heart.

"Well, yea. It's an option for you. At least then you wouldn't be seen as a whore." Kate regretted her sentence the moment it left her lips as Ava's emerald eyes flashed angrily. Ava slapped the hand on her hip away and narrowed her gaze at the woman.

"An 'option'?" she spat. "Is that how you think it works? You think that I can just turn off what I feel for you- for anyone- just because I'm bi?" She waited for Kate's response but it never came. "Do you think that I give a shit about what a _murderer_ has to say about who I sleep with? I honestly didn't peg you for such an ignorant person, Kate."

"Ignorant?" Kate's own eyes sparked with indignation. "Ignorance has nothing to do with it. I just-"

"That has everything to do with it!" Ava shouted, slamming the glass onto the counter. "You know what, I'm not doing this." Ava ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. "I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to bed. Whether you're there or not, I don't really care right now." Ava ignored the sudden appearance of tears in her fiancée's eyes as she brushed past her and locked herself in the bathroom. Even as she ran the water, she could hear Kate sniffling and packing the things she would need for the night. While the two were engaged to be married, the apartment was still in Ava's name and she could, technically, do whatever she wanted with it. Anytime they argued badly enough for one of them to want to spend the night alone, it was always Kate that ended up leaving. While, most nights, Ava felt bad that she would have to ask a friend to stay overnight, tonight was different. She was tired, she was in pain, and she had just spent the entire day trying to catch a criminal who attacked a community she was a part of but not truly accepted in. As she lay down and took in the empty space beside her, Ava felt a few tears of frustration stinging at her eyes. Swiping them away angrily, she turned her back to Kate's side of the bed and fell into an uneasy and fitful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is rated M.**

 **Chapter 5**

'Sour' wasn't nearly adequate enough to describe Ava's mood as she dropped her purse on Emily Prentiss' old desk. As she plopped down unceremoniously, she noticed a large vase that held a decent amount of red roses resting on the corner, just out of reach. Ava glanced around nervously, trying to spot the rest of her team. They were nowhere to be found. Just as the brunette stood up and pulled the vase closer to herself, Morgan's voice appeared from behind her.

"They were brought in first thing this morning." His grin was unmistakable. " _Someone_ must have had a good night." Ava frowned, picking up the card that was attached.

"Actually, it was a pretty bad night." She retorted, catching sight of JJ and Reid approaching. The two said nothing but the blonde offered her a raised eyebrow at the sight of the large bouquet. Ignoring them, Ava opened the card.

 _I'm sorry about what I said. You're right, it was ignorant and childish. I overreacted and I hope that you can forgive me._

 _I love you,_

 _K_

Ava blushed a deep shade of red as she quickly stored the card before anyone could read it over her shoulder. She took her phone from her purse and immediately sent a text to her fiancée.

 _They're beautiful. Thank you. I love you too._

It took several minutes for a response to come through seeing as Kate had already begun work, but when it did, Ava's heart skipped several beats.

 _I bought this to make it up to you. Hope you're alone!_

There was an image attached. Ava took a quick peak around the room, making sure that no one was close enough to see, and opened the image.

"Wow, I didn't know a human being could turn that red!" JJ remarked. Her voice, as well as its closeness, caused the younger agent to jump, fumble with her phone's lock button, and eventually drop it. JJ, giggling from having startled the woman so much, bent to pick it up.

"I _really_ don't think you want to do that." Ava warned as the blonde's fingers grazed the device. Thankfully, it had fallen face down, hiding the image that would surely have JJ unable to meet Kate's eyes when they would eventually meet.

"Oh?" the older woman frowned, watching Ava pick up the phone herself and stow it immediately. "Oh." JJ's cheeks turned pink at the realization and Ava shot her an innocent smile.

"Oh." Ava confirmed, the smile only leaving her lips when the ding from the elevator was heard. JJ watched as the woman's face went from beet red to sickly pale in seconds, turning on her heel to see what she had seen to cause it. A group of soldiers, sailors by the look of them, had stopped at the front desk and seemed to be asking for directions. JJ turned back, confused by Ava's reaction, and touched the woman's arm.

"Are you alright?" JJ could feel the woman's body trembling from that simple touch and her concerned heightened. "Ava?"

"Wh-why are those men here?" her voice was shaky and barely audible, her wide eyes glued to the men who were now entering the bullpen.

"I don't know," JJ said. "Soldiers come here all the time though, it doesn't mean anything bad has happened."

"Maybe not for you." The haunted tone of Ava's voice deepened JJ's frown as she turned to watch the men. She could feel Ava holding her breath as they approached the two women. One, presumably their leader, nodded at the women respectfully before the group of four passed by them without a word. They knocked at the door of an office owned by someone Ava had yet to meet and were told to enter. Only then did Ava release the breath she had been holding. JJ looked back at the woman, noticing that the color had already begun to return to her cheeks, and squeezed her shoulder.

"You know someone?" the blonde asked softly. "Someone in the Navy?" Ava took a deep breath and looked up at her. The unshed tears were evident in the young woman's eyes as she nodded. "Right, well, I'm sure they're just fine."

"Right." Ava tried to control her voice, attempting to weed out the fear that was so indubitably still there. JJ offered her a kind smile before letting go and returning to her desk. Ava debated whether or not to text Kate about the incident before deciding that there was no point. Everything was fine and no good could come from discussing her ex with her current fiancée. Putting her phone away, the brunette looked down at the desk full of paperwork and sighed. It wasn't going to write itself.

Having had a considerably good day after receiving the flowers and apology from Kate, Ava found herself with an abundance of energy by the end of it. It had been rather uneventful in regards to serial killers and kidnappings but regardless, the brunette was happy. She debated going to the gym for an hour or two before heading home, knowing that the newfound energy would keep her up all night if she didn't expel it. Then, with a grin, she remembered that there would be a workout of a different sort in store for her when she arrived home. Pulling up to the complex's parking garage, Ava grinned as she caught sight of Kate's black Lexus. She was home. While she would never admit it, the brunette missed her fiancée terribly whenever they spent the night apart. She knew that Kate felt the same way but the blonde was more inclined to share those types of feelings than she was. The beauty of their relationship was in its balance- when one was emotional, the other was rational. Where one was weak, the other was strong. They harmonized perfectly, able to counteract each other's shortcomings at a moment's notice. For example, Ava's current giddiness and excitement would undoubtedly be met with Kate's composed and calm exterior the moment she opened the door.

"Kate?" Ava cautiously called as she entered. Dropping her bag and coat on the nearest couch, the brunette strained her ears in search of her. Hearing nothing, she proceeded into the bedroom, opening the closet and unlocking the safe she kept there. Not bothering to turn on the lights, she removed the sidearm from its holster and stowed it safely.

"Avalona." At the sound of her full name, Ava's breath hitched. Slowly, she turned around and took in the sight before her. Kate, taking advantage of Ava's absentmindedness, had lit a handful of candles while the brunette's back was turned. She lay on the bed, her skin glowing courtesy to the flames, and beckoned Ava towards her. Ava, her mouth dry and eyes wide, struggled to get her legs to comply. When she finally did, Kate rose and Ava was able to fully appreciate what stood before her. The blonde had on the same thing she did in the photo that she had sent- turquoise lingerie that left nothing to the imagination. Kate had pinned back half of her hair, allowing the rest of the golden tresses to cascade down the side of her face. Despite the inadequate lighting, Ava's heart thumped loudly in her chest. Quite the opposite in fact, the sight of the glowing flames dancing on pale flesh made the brunette's knees weaker than usual. While intimacy wasn't a problem in their relationship, it was rare that they indulge in something like this. Ignoring the feelings that began to stir inside her, Ava swallowed hard and breathed,

"Katherine." The blonde took a step towards her, their chests now almost touching. Ava couldn't help her wandering eyes as they travelled to the woman's lace covered breasts. Despite the blonde's cool façade, Ava could see just how rapidly her chest was heaving in anticipation. Moving lower to her taunt stomach and alabaster-like legs, Ava found herself slightly breathless. With a single finger, Kate lifted Ava's chin in order to look deep into her jade eyes, intrigued by the way the candlelight gleamed in them. Ava was equally as captivated by Kate's once blue eyes, now darkened with lust and almost black in the poorly lit room. Their first contact of the night, despite its chaste nature, was enough to compel the woman to act.

"You're overdressed." Kate informed her. Ava looked down at herself shyly. "Off." There was no question in Ava's mind: this wasn't a request. As she began unbuttoning her blouse, Ava cursed herself for not wearing anything nearly as alluring as Kate. The blonde, however, didn't seem to care as she sat on the edge of the bed and crossed those sinfully long legs, watching her fiancée undress. Leaving her blouse on but completely open, Ava saw Kate's gaze move from her eyes to the black bra she wore. The blonde's gaze was trained on the valley between her breasts and the look in her eyes made it almost impossible for Ava to continue. Almost. Next came her pants that she discarded haphazardly across the room, revealing matching black underwear. She knew that Kate wanted to do this part herself. As if on cue, Kate stood and placed her warm hands on Ava's shoulders. One hand traveled to Ava's cheek, stroking it affectionately before placing a subdued kiss on the full lips presented to her. Ava, desperate for more contact, tried to reach out and pull the blonde closer in order to deepen the kiss. Kate would have none of it. She pulled back instantly, raising a perfect eyebrow at the gasping beauty before her. Ava got the message, dropping her hands back to her sides as she allowed Kate to continue to touch her. The blonde smirked, enjoying having her tough, ass-kicking fiancée at her mercy. She eased a hand underneath the fabric of the blouse and helped Ava shrug a shoulder free of it. Her hand traveled to the toned back as she massaged it briefly before doing the same to the other side. Leaning back to take in the sight of her mostly naked lover, Kate bit her lip in anticipation.

"You are so perfect, Ava." The blonde practically whispered. Despite the low lighting, she could see the blush that overtook the younger woman's cheeks. Kate knew that the pretense Ava put on of being confident and fearless was just that- a pretense. For years she had worked to build the woman's image of herself to no avail. However, when it came to moments like these, she made sure to tell Ava just how beautiful she was.

" _You_ are perfect, Kate." Ava whispered back, her breath hot on the woman's lips. Kate merely chuckled as she lowered her head, bringing her lips to Ava's neck. The brunette inhaled sharply as teeth and tongue scraped against the sensitive skin.

"I'm sorry about last night." Kate mumbled against her. Ava shook her head slowly, having forgiven the woman long before she had seen her in this outfit.

"Already forgotten." Ava's breath hitched as Kate's hands moved to the clasp of her bra, unfastening it with expert hands and letting the garment fall to the ground. Only then did Kate remove her lips from Ava's neck and focus her attention elsewhere. As her mouth got to work on making Ava's eyes roll, her hands went to rest on the woman's hips, stroking the skin that was exposed there and toying with the only article of clothing the brunette had left.

"Kate." Ava groaned, the fists she had formed almost breaking the skin of her palms.

"Yes?" the blonde asked innocently, her assault continuing without pause.

"I need to touch you," Ava practically begged, "please." She knew that asking permission was the only way to get what she wanted from the woman. When Kate was in control, it was unwise to disobey or displease her. She had learned that the hard way. The shorter woman seemed to consider the request for a moment before finally giving her a single nod. With a sigh of relief, Ava reached out and stroked the blonde's sides, watching a grin appear on red lips. Unblinking, Ava wrapped her arms around the woman and pressed her body impossibly close before setting her sights on the heavy, lace clad objects in front of her. Unhooking the blonde's bra and tossing it aside, Ava licked her lips much like a lioness does at the sight of a gazelle. Without ceremony, the two women locked their lips together and began a battle for dominance that would continue until the early hours of the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another rated M but also important chapter for your reading pleasure.**

 **Chapter 6**

Eventually, the two had moved from the bedroom to the bathroom. Their earlier activities not only having exhausted them but also left them in desperate need of washing. Deciding to be eco-friendly, the two women opted to bathe together and now lay, back to front, in the marble tub. Ava let out a content sigh as Kate finished massaging her wet scalp, her hands going to rest on the woman's thighs as she lay against her chest. Stroking the tattoo she knew resided there, Kate sighed contently against her lover. The night was everything the couple needed- intimate, passionate, and incredibly sensual.

"If you keep doing that, I might fall asleep on you." Ava mumbled, her head lolling to the side as she closed her eyes. She felt, more than heard, Kate chuckle as the blonde began stroking her firm thighs instead.

"Well that wouldn't be very fun." She whined jokingly. Ava's fingers had already begun running her nails along the woman's silky thighs, letting her know that she had no intention of falling asleep. Feeling Kate begin to squirm beneath her fingertips, Ava opened her eyes and released a hot breath against the breast she was facing. Kate's fingers slowed on her lover's thighs as she preferred to focus on what the brunette would do with their new position. Ava was not one to disappoint.

"I think we've got a little bit more 'fun' left in us." Ava muttered as her hands moved from Kate's outer to her inner thighs. Ava was having a hard time deciding where to place her mouth as she looked up at Kate's closed eyes and back down to the heaving chest beside her. When she scooted slightly and nipped at the blonde's already bruised breast, Kate cried out and Ava was more than pleased with her choice. The blonde's hands were no longer idle as they traveled into the water and began to massage one of Ava's breasts. It didn't take long for the pair to begin wriggling in each other's arms. Kate's hand moved further south as she dragged her nails roughly alongside the brunette's inner thigh, causing the woman to gasp and release the sensitive skin from the warmth of her mouth. _Damn her_ , Ava thought. Just as she thought she had the upper hand, Kate always managed to flip the tables on her. It only served to prove that once the older woman was set on dominating her lover, nothing short of a miracle could change her mind. Now, a breathless, writhing mess, Ava could barely concentrate on breathing let alone touching her lover. As Kate chuckled deeply at the painfully aroused brunette that had suddenly turned to putty in her hands, her fingers finally reached their destination. Ava let out a moan, startled at how feminine it sounded but too far engrossed in her lover's touch to care, and opened her legs as far as they would go in the now-too-narrow tub.

"Out there," Kate murmured in Ava's ear, fingers never deviating from their mission, "you can be the badass, gun-wielding federal agent." Ava fought hard to understand the words past the haze her fiancée had placed around her. "But in here, with me," Kate lowered her head to place not-so-chaste kisses on the younger woman's neck at every other word, "we both know that I'm in charge, Avalona." Ava gasped loudly as the blonde wrapped her lips around a pulse point and sucked hard. That, accompanied with what Kate was saying to her and the absolutely reprehensible things her fingers were doing, threw Ava over the edge she had been brought to. As the blonde held her in place with a firm hand across her chest, Ava cried out Kate's name and threw her head back onto the woman's shoulder. She trembled intensely but Kate's strong arms refused to let go, drawing out the brunette's pleasure for what felt like hours. When the waves finally stopped crashing against her, Ava's body collapsed against the blonde's once more, splashing a decent amount of water out of the tub. Kate wiped dark hair away from her eyes and placed a gentle kiss to the woman's parted lips as she panted.

"You're," Ava struggled to form the words, "cruel." Kate laughed wholeheartedly, shaking both bodies in the process.

"I love you too." She said innocuously. With a burst of unexpected energy, the brunette flipped herself over to be face to face with the other woman. She aimed immediately for the blonde's neck, knowing that it was one of her weak spots, and bit just hard enough to cause Kate to gasp. The blonde's eyes flashed dangerously and, while Ava knew she would be forced to regret her actions, a mischievous smile danced on her lips.

"My turn." Ava practically growled, her hands setting to work at separating the woman's thighs. Ava was stronger than Kate, there was no doubt, but she rarely used that strength seeing as she preferred to be dominated by her blonde lover. However, there were instances like this one that called for a brief switch in roles. Ava held the woman's thighs open despite the other woman's attempts to close them. She knew that Kate was already severely turned on and approximated that this wouldn't take long. With a flirtatious wink, Ava took a deep breath and plunged her head into the bathwater. Kate was rattled by the action but it didn't take long for that feeling to be replaced as Ava quickly set herself to the task at hand. Kate immediately stopped trying to close her legs and instead focused all her energy on not taking a fistful of dark hair into her fist. Gripping the side of the tub painfully, her concern for Ava's wellbeing didn't last long as her hips bucked involuntarily at her fiancée's actions beneath the water. The woman had a sinful tongue and it took mere seconds for Kate to feel the impending end. Just as she was about to cry out for probably the last time that night, Ava's phone began to ring. The blonde growled as she glanced at the caller ID. It was Ava's boss. _Oh God, why now?!_ She knew that she had no choice seeing as Ava's job was always a matter of life or death. With a disgruntled sob, she grabbed a handful of hair and pulled Ava out of the water.

"What-" the brunette stammered, trying to flip her hair out of her eyes and wipe the soap away. "You've got to be kidding me, it's four in the morning!" Ava wiped as much water away from her ear as she could before picking up the phone.

"I'm sorry to call so late but we've got a case." Hotch's voice had the effect of throwing ice water on a flame.

"A case?" Ava questioned, a thought coming into her head. "Now?" She put the call on speaker and ignored the quizzical look from Kate as she began to approach the woman. Ava smiled impishly as she placed a finger in front of her lips indicating silence.

"Yes," Hotch's voice echoed in the tile room, "can you come in?"

"Sure," Ava said, placing a hand on her fiancée's inner thigh, "just give me the rundown while I get ready." Kate shook her head rapidly, seeing where this was going. Ava ignored her completely. As her boss began recounting the gruesome details of a triple homicide in Arlington, Kate was forced to place a hand over her mouth as Ava fingers resumed their task. Ava placed her other hand on the woman's stomach to keep her still as she leaned forward and began kissing and sucking on her neck. Agent Hotchner's voice was completely drowned out by the blood rushing past Kate's ears as she rocked her body in sync with Ava's thrusts. The lewd and potentially disastrous situation only heightened Kate's arousal and within seconds, her body arched into Ava's, teeth sinking into the exposed flesh on her neck to dull the sounds of the cry she was releasing. Kate's body continued to quiver in Ava's grasp even after the brunette had released her neck. Fingers still sheathed inside her fiancée, Ava allowed pride to swell in her belly.

"Ava?" Hotch's voice brought the brunette, but not the blonde, back to the call. "Are you there?"

"Yep," she responded, the satisfaction and amusement evident in her voice, "I'll be right there!" She quickly hung up the phone before Kate could recover her senses and reprimand her. When the blonde finally stopped shaking, Ava removed her fingers, causing a soft mewling sound to escape the other woman's lips.

"You," Kate almost snarled, "are going to pay for that." Ava grinned widely, reaching around the stunned blonde and flipping the drain on.

"I know." She shrugged as she kissed her fiancée on the nose and stood up, pulling the still flustered and slightly unsteady woman with her. "But not today."

Less than half an hour later, Ava was walking into the BAU dressed in jeans, a volleyball tee shirt from her alma matter, and a pair of worn out Converse. She caught sight of the rest of the team's silhouettes already inside the conference room and quickened her pace to join them.

"Sorry I'm late!" she cried as she sat down, taking stock of the room. Everyone was dressed similarly as her given the fact that was now almost five in the morning but their expressions were slightly different.

"Someone's quite sprightly at this ungodly hour." Morgan groaned, his face almost inside the cup of steaming coffee in front of him. The others narrowed their gazes, analyzing the youngest agent. Ava merely shrugged and sat down.

"Were you," JJ frowned, "showering at 4AM?" Ava ran a hand through her still wet hair and couldn't help the blush that overcame her cheeks.

"Uh," she tried to think of something quickly, "I was at the gym and got home late." No one seemed to buy it.

"Right, the gym." Morgan scoffed. "I'm sure there was _some_ kind of workout going on, right Thorne?" The slap she laid on the man's arm was more than enough confirmation. Reid toyed with his fingernails awkwardly as a blush appeared and JJ couldn't help but chuckle at the taller woman's discomfort.

"What Agent Thorne was or was not doing is none of our concern, Morgan." Hotch tried hard to force the image of what his agent must've been doing when he'd called out of his mind. However, his curiosity momentarily got the best of him as he wondered how many- if any- of the team knew that Ava was engaged to a woman. The only reason he knew was because he had received a very detailed file on Agent Thorne from her superiors at the CIA when she had first applied. While he was glad to know as much as he could about the newcomer, he was sure there were things in there- things that were much more personal that who she loved- that Ava did not want him to know. It was uncomfortable having to hide the knowledge he had both from the team and from Ava herself but he was sure that she would not want to discuss her past with her new boss. Despite himself, Hotch wished that he could help her. Even though several years had passed in between the events that had undoubtedly traumatized her, there was no doubt in his mind that Ava still carried the scars, both physical and mental. Sometimes, at the most random and unexpected moments, he would catch a glimpse in her eyes and wondered what she was remembering. With the daunting cards she had been dealt in her short life, Hotch sometimes wondered how she managed to complete her day to day activities. He was sure that if all of that happened to him, he would be unable to cope as easily. Crediting it to her astonishing strength, Hotch shook the thoughts away and briefed his team on the local case but not before noticing a pair of jade eyes studying him intently.

The case didn't take as long as others and before long, the team was finishing up their paperwork. Ava finished quickly, seeing as she had a certain task to complete before the end of the work day. As she packed her things and said her goodbyes, she could feel the confused looks at her back as she walked up the several steps to Hotch's office. She knocked on the door, waited for permission to enter, and immediately closed it behind her.

"Agent Thorne." Hotch looked up, quickly putting the finishing touches to whatever he was writing and putting it aside. "What can I do for you?"

"If I'm going to call you 'Hotch', you've got to start calling me 'Ava'." The woman offered him a smile. The man nodded briefly, the ghost of a smile passing his lips. Ava got the impression that the Unit Chief didn't smile much…not like she could blame him.

"Right," Hotch agreed, "Ava. Is everything ok?"

"Actually," she began, dreading this conversation since she first noticed the way he looked at her at the start of their most recent case, "not really."

"Has something happened with one of the team?" Hotch looked concerned, having been under the impression that Ava and the team had been getting along surprisingly well. He motioned for Ava to take a seat.

"No, no, nothing like that." Ava sat and crossed her legs, picking at her nails nervously. "It's not them I'm worried about, it's you."

"Me?" Hotch reeled, rapidly scanning his brain for a memory of ever mistreating the woman. "Have I done something to offend you?"

"No," Ava shook her head, "it's not about what you've done. It's about what you know."

"What I know." Hotch repeated curiously. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"The file you were given about me." Ava clarified, finally meeting his eye. "I want to know what's written in it."

"That's…highly irregular." Hotch leaned back in his chair, seeing where this was going.

"I know that there's…information in there that isn't pertinent to my position on your team." Ava raised an eyebrow. " _That's_ irregular, Hotch."

"Well," the man shifted, "I didn't put the file together. It was given to me along with your application."

"By the CIA?" she questioned, already knowing the response as the man nodded. "You know, then, that the CIA doesn't exactly maintain an amicable relationship with agents that leave them." Another nod. "Then why accept any information they give you about me?"

"It was the only source I had." Hotch defended himself. "You'd only worked for them at the time and there was no other file available. I'm sure you understand that I wanted to know the people who join my team."

"I don't blame you," Ava folded her hands neatly in her lap, "but does that include knowing extremely personal and irrelevant information about them?"

"It isn't irrelevant." Hotch tilted his head, wary of getting on the woman's bad side. He watched as her eyes flashed briefly before returning back to normal.

"Who I sleep with and my prior relationships are in no way related to how well I can do my job." While her tone was neutral, Hotch could tell that they were approaching dangerous territory.

"They are if either resulted in long-term trauma." He held her emerald gaze, seeing the physical strain it took for her to restrain herself.

"My," Ava clenched a fist out of Hotch's sight, "'trauma' is none of your business."

"I disagree." He stated plainly, catching the not-so-subtle implication that she did not consider herself a victim. "Ava, you're a great agent. You've exceeded every expectation this team had and continue to do so everyday. What I know about you doesn't change that and it most certainly doesn't change how I see you. I understand why you want to keep your personal life private, trust me I do, but in this line of work our personal and professional lives blend often. If it can even remotely affect your performance in the field, then I need to know about it. Any skeletons in our closets should and are known about by each and every member of this team. It's why we work so well. We trust each other with our deepest secrets and protect one another from our weaknesses whenever needed. That's all I want- to be able to protect you if the time ever comes that you need me." Ava's anger and frustration dissipated rather quickly at Hotch's words. She hadn't thought of it in that way. Ava had read about the BAU's ordeals long before joining the team. She knew about Hotch's ex-wife, Reid's drug addiction, JJ's kidnapping, and Morgan's childhood abuse. She simply just hadn't seen how what happened to her could be as pertinent as those events. Dropping her head, she studied the carpet beneath her feet before speaking.

"I don't want any of my…skeletons to come back and hurt this team." She said softly. "It's why I've tried to be so open with them. But there are some," Ava swallowed hard, unable to think about this time in her life without unimaginable sadness, "there are some things that I'm just not ready to talk about."

"That's perfectly fine." Hotch assured her. "You may not have trusted me enough to tell me and I may not have found out in a way that you liked, but that doesn't mean I'm not here for you if you change your mind. I'm sure the rest of the team would be more than happy to be there for you too if you ever decide to tell them."

"Right." Ava doubted she would be able to form the words even if she wanted to. "I'm sorry I-"

"You have nothing to apologize for." Hotch waved a hand in dismissal. "Can I offer you a piece of advice?" Ava nodded. "Start small. Tell them about why you left the CIA and work your way up to everything else in your own time."

"That's," Ava frowned slightly as she thought, "actually a really good idea." She wanted them to trust her, to like her even. The only way to ensure that they did was to be completely honest with them and stop hiding. Hotch was right, this was a great start. She offered him a genuine smile and stood. Hotch followed her, taking the hand that she offered.

"Remember," he said, surprising her with a smile of his own, "I'm always here." Ava felt her heart warm as he shook her hand and placed the other over it. Cursing the wetness in her eyes that suddenly appeared, Ava nodded and gently closed the office door behind her. _So this is what family feels like._ Wiping at her eyes, she looked down at the rest of the team that was still in the process of finishing their paperwork. _No time like the present._ She sat down, playing on her phone until everyone seemed to be done, before getting their attention.

"If you guys aren't in a rush," she said turning in her chair, "I'd like to talk to all of you about something." The seriousness of her tone was more than enough to have the others insisting that they were ok with a slight delay.

"Oh God," Morgan sighed, "are you pregnant?" JJ, being the one only who knew how biologically impossible that was, almost snorted in laughter. Ava ignored the skip of her heart and faked a chuckle.

"You are so dense, Derek." Rossi offered her a knowing smile that left the woman wondering. "I wanted to answer one of the questions you guys asked me when I first got here." The four were silent immediately, intrigued and glad that she finally felt as if she could trust them. "As you all know, I worked for the CIA from the time I was twenty-one until I came here. They taught me pretty much everything I know but the lesson they left me with wasn't exactly a great one."

"What do you mean?" Reid asked, his head tilting in interest.

"I never really worked with anyone else before coming here. I didn't want to put that much trust into another person and even after I left, it took me months to take that step. During my last assignment with them, something went wrong." Ava began to explain. "At first, everything was fine. I set up, starting living a new life, and pretty much just waited for them to come get me." The way she made being kidnapped by a human trafficking ring sound like being picked up from school unnerved the group. "Eventually, they did and I woke up in a cell. My hands were tied with wire," she rolled up her sleeves a little and showed them the scars they had already noticed, "and I ended up waiting there for what felt like weeks. No one spoke to me, no one touched me, but it was odd that no one had come for me either. It wasn't until the third week that I realized that there was a reason I was still there."

"Were they waiting for you to find something?" Morgan offered. Ava simply shook her head.

"They lost you." Rossi concluded, drawing all eyes to him. "Didn't they?" Ava nodded once. "It happens more than we care to admit. An agent will go undercover, will do everything right, but the agency will simply drop the ball. Maybe it's a resource problem or one individual messed up. Regardless, those agents rarely make it back."

"Right." Ava confirmed. "They usually don't wait longer than a week since that's about how long it takes to find a buyer." Ava ignored the pit in her stomach as she made human beings- herself included- sound like knickknacks hanging in a store window. "The ring was having technical trouble and couldn't contact potential buyers like they used to. It's the only reason me and the other girls that were there weren't sold within a week. That's the only reason I'm still…around."

"Did they get you out?" JJ asked, unable to see another way that she could have escaped. Ava nodded.

"Eventually, they came." She said. "We were lucky- _I_ was lucky." She took a deep breath, fully understanding what could've happened to her during those three weeks. The woman toyed with the ring on her left hand nervously. "The men who worked there were so busy trying to fix whatever the issue was that they only came around to throw us some water or a piece of bread every three days or so. By the time the raid team came, it was more about finding evidence to help locate me than saving me. No one expected me to still be there. When I got out of the hospital, I found my handler and asked him what went wrong, why I was left behind. He said that I wasn't, that they had eyes on me the entire time and knew that I was safe. It was a blatant lie. I found out a few weeks later that the techie who had installed my surveillance and tracking gear simply forgot to turn it on."

"You're kidding." Morgan frowned. Ava let out a humorless chuckle.

"I wish I was." She shrugged. "When I confronted my handler about it, he lied again- told me that was just a rumor to make the Agency look bad. It was the last straw for me. I couldn't trust him- I couldn't trust anyone who worked there. Half the team that located me knew the truth and didn't tell me. I had to find out myself that the reason I was almost sold into the sex trade was because someone forgot to flip a switch." The resentment and anger in her voice was unmistakable and the BAU couldn't fault her for it. JJ slowly reached out and took the younger woman's hand in hers. Ava squeezed it without looking up. "So I left."

"Who could blame you?" Reid murmured, shocked that this could even happen.

"Apparently they can." Ava practically snarled. "They sent Hotch a file on me as thick as Morgan's arm filled with material on why I shouldn't work for the FBI."

"They tried to sabotage your placement with us over _their_ mistake?" Rossi scoffed, seemingly unsurprised. Nothing the CIA did anymore surprised him. Ava merely shrugged, unsure as to whether that was true. All she knew was that the fact that she left them for the FBI did not sit well with her former bosses. She sighed, feeling a large weight being lifted off her shoulders. The way the BAU reacted and rallied to her lifted her heart more than she had ever envisioned. They cared about her, they truly did, and that alone helped Ava put the past where it belonged.

"Well, that's all of it." Ava told them. "I wanted to tell you guys sooner, I just…felt a little embarrassed."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." JJ insisted. "Those people shouldn't even have jobs let alone high ranking positions. You did nothing wrong."

"Thanks." Ava mumbled shyly as Morgan reached out and squeezed a shoulder.

"You're a tough chick, Ava." Morgan told her. "Their loss is our gain, so forget 'em." Ava chuckled with a nod until a thought struck her.

"Actually," she grinned, "it's 'Avalona'." The four seemed more surprised at being told her full name than the story she had just finished.

"Avalona?" they asked in unison causing the girl to laugh.

"What can I say, my parents had a thing for Arthurian legend." She shrugged. "But if you ever call me that, I'll end you." She eyed Morgan in particular who immediately raised his arms in defense. He had no doubt that she was capable of carrying that threat out.

"Well, _Ava_ ," Rossi smiled, "thank you for trusting us with your story. However, I do have to get going." He checked his watch and Ava nearly fly out of her seat.

"Oh shit," she cried, "what time is it?! I'm late!"

10:29PM

Kate was going to kill her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Kate?" Ava called cautiously as she entered the apartment. "I know I'm late but I promise there's a good reason." Despite the night the two had spent together almost a week ago, things had been rather turbulent between them on account of Ava's new job. She had odd hours, rarely come home for dinner, and was in a seemingly constant state of exhaustion. Kate knew that this new job would come with stipulations such as these but never anticipated that they would bother her this much. Now, as the blonde sat cross-legged at the dinner table waiting for her fiancée to come home for a dinner she had promised to attend, Kate was more than bothered- she was furious. The bottle of wine she had consumed while waiting for the brunette didn't help.

"Late?" the blonde drummed her fingers against the glass table. "Late is a few minutes. Late is _maybe_ an hour. You're not late. You've missed the boat completely." She wasn't wrong. Ava was exactly two hours and forty-three minutes late. The taller woman's gaze didn't fail to take in the empty bottle or the candlelit dinner. Her cheeks flushed with regret.

"I know and I'm so sorry." She knelt in front of the woman, taking her overheated hands into hers. Kate remained unmoved.

"You know," her words were slightly slurred and Ava knew she was in for a long night. "I'm getting pretty tired of that phrase."

"Kate, I swear I didn't do it on purpose." Ava insisted. "I had to talk with the team about something important and it couldn't wait. I know it's not what you want to hear but-"

"'The team' this, 'the team' that," the blonde yanked her hands out of the other woman's grasp and stood up, almost knocking Ava over in the process, "when are you getting to get your head out of _the team's_ asses?" Ava bit back an equally rude retort, knowing that this was mainly the wine speaking…mainly.

"Please don't be like that." She asked. "It's important that we trust each other, Kate. We're literally putting our lives in each other's hands on an almost daily basis. I can't just-"

"Jesus, quit being so dramatic." Kate went on her tip-toes in order to reach the shelf where they kept the alcohol. Knowing she couldn't reach it, she turned to Ava and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" the brunette practically whispered. Kate rounded on her, blue eyes flashing hot as any flame.

"Don't lecture me on good ideas. You're not exactly the poster child for them yourself." Ava swallowed, taking the hit simply because her actions had started this. With a sigh she removed a bottle of red wine from the shelf. The blonde snatched it out of her hands immediately, not bothering to thank her. As Kate opened the bottle and poured herself another glass, Ava ran a hand through her hair, trying to fight the fatigue she was feeling off. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I boring you?"

"What? No." Ava frowned, taking a seat across from the woman. "I'm just tired, is all."

"You're always tired." Kate grumbled, almost to herself. Ava shook her head slightly, placing it in her hands. She didn't know what else to say.

"I'm sorry." The brunette muttered. She thought the blonde's temper had dulled. She was wrong.

"I am so sick of your apologies, Ava." Kate said through gritted teeth. "Stop saying you're sorry and then doing nothing to change your actions."

"Tell me what you want me to do then." Ava clenched and unclenched her fists, her own temper beginning to flare.

"I want you to quit that job." The phrase was expected but hearing it out of her fiancée's lips was a different matter altogether. Ava knew the response without thinking.

"That's not going to happen, Kate." She folded her hands. "Think of something else."

"There _is_ nothing else!" the blonde snapped, slamming her hand on the table. Ava took in the woman, unsure of what to make of her. "All you do is work. When you come home, all you can think about is work. You haven't made time for us since you joined that fucking team and now you can't even make it on time to a simple dinner."

"I don't make time for us?" Ava frowned. "I recall an entire night, not too long ago in fact, that we dedicated to spending as much time as possible with each other."

"One night." Kate scoffed. "One night doesn't make up for the past five months."

"I'm not quitting this team, Kate." Ava insisted. "They're the closest thing I've ever had to a real family, you know that."

"I thought _I_ was your family." The hurt was evident in her blue eyes and Ava wanted nothing more than to retract the words.

"You are." She pressed. "You've been my family since the day we met but this is different. They're not more or better, they're just different. If you would only meet them-"

"I have no interest in meeting them." Kate sneered. "I have no interest in meeting the people who keep you away from me."

"They're not keeping me away, Kate." Ava promised. "I know this is a difficult adjustment for you but given time, we can make it work. You know I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. Nothing can change that- not a job, or a team, or _anything_."

"If you loved me, you'd quit." The blonde said as she took a generous gulp of wine. Ava swallowed hard. She knew that this would be difficult on both of them but she never anticipated an ultimatum.

"That's not fair and you know it." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was so unlike Kate. Ava thought again: maybe this wasn't unlike her at all. Maybe this was who she really was- controlling, spiteful, and manipulative. _No,_ she thought immediately. _That's not the woman I fell in love with._

"What's not fair is having to share my _fiancée_ with god knows who." Kate spat. "Tell me, is it that woman you're spending so much time with?"

"What woman?" Ava could only imagine what Kate would come up with now.

"Don't play coy with me. The only other woman on your precious team!" Ava's eyes widened at the thought, shaking her head immediately.

"That's insane!" she shot up. "First of all, JJ is as straight as they-"

"Oh, so that's what's stopping you." Kate chuckled humorlessly. "So if she was into it, you'd be all over her, wouldn't you?"

"I think it's time you go to bed." Ava concluded. "You would never accuse me of something like that if you were sober."

"Well, they do say that alcohol only brings out the truth." Kate informed her as she stood. Ava remained perfectly still as her fiancée approached her. Kate stopped an inch or two away from her face and pointed an accusatory finger at her chest. "That's what's keeping you there so late, isn't it? You're screwing her."

"Kate," Ava fought hard to control the tone of her voice, "you know that isn't true. Why would I accept your marriage proposal if I didn't want to be with you? I'm not exactly the kind of person who does the exact opposite of what I want, am I?"

"Who knows," the blonde shrugged, her wine-filled breath hot against Ava's face, "maybe it's fun for you- stringing me along all these years- trying to see how much you can get away with until I finally snap." With the final word, she shoved Ava against the wall, hard. The brunette was stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"I want to be with _you_." Ava tried again. "I've always wanted that from the second I saw you. Listen to me carefully, Kate: I have no interest in anyone else."

"Don't lie to me!" the woman cried, slamming a hand on the wall beside Ava's face. The taller woman blinked rapidly. Sure, their relationship was very physical and perhaps borderline violent when it came to their bedroom activities. However, this was unheard of from either woman. She was only this unpredictable and aggressive when it came to sex. The almost murderous look in the blonde's eyes caused the brunette to shrink back. She, who had stared down serial killers and rapists, was afraid of her fiancée.

"You need to stop." Ava urged. "We can continue this conversation tomorrow, when we're both calmer."

"Why, scared that I'm onto something?" Kate ignored the slight shake of Ava's head as she took the woman's chin into her hand. "Tell me the truth."

"I _am_ telling you the truth." Ava's heart jumped in her chest as the blonde's hand went to her neck. She swallowed hard and could've sworn that she saw a satisfied glint in the other woman's eyes. Kate knew Ava was afraid…and she liked it.

"I can forgive one mistake, Avalona." Kate swore, her other hand suddenly appearing on Ava's waist. "Tell me the truth and we can fix it." The blonde's hand was not idle as it moved under Ava's shirt and began to caress the skin there. Despite the situation, Ava couldn't help but feel a jolt of pleasure shoot down her body. She knew this was crazy- her fiancée had just accused her of cheating for Christ's sake- but her body always responded to Kate's touch. It was not a fact she was proud of.

"Kate, stop." She said as forcefully as she could. The woman ignored her, continuing her path across Ava's body to her toned stomach and the clasp of her pants.

"I'm not asking for much." Kate pouted. "And besides, you owe me." Ava placed a hand around Kate's wrist in an attempt to stop her movements only to be swatted away. She knew that this was the alcohol- it had to be. Kate would never continue touching her if she didn't want it. It was an arrangement they had made a long time ago, when their relationship first became physical. A thought suddenly occurred to the brunette.

"Red." Ava spoke their safe word loud and clear, leaving no room for interpretation. "Red, Kate." The blonde let out a short, deep chuckle. The sound did not do what it normally did for Ava.

"It's far too late for that." The older woman breathed, one hand slipping inside Ava's pants as the other tightened around her throat. 'Panic' wasn't a good enough word to express what Avalona Thorne was experiencing. Her fiancée, her Kate, was not only accusing her of cheating, but was now well on the way to _raping_ her. No, none of this was right. Just as Kate's fingers went to touch her, Ava reached out and pushed the woman away from her.

"I said _stop_ , Kate!" her shout was loud but not nearly as loud as the slap Kate had administered to Ava's face. The two stood in silence, both frozen with shock at what just occurred. Ava could feel a small trickle of blood as a cut opened up on her lip from Kate's ring. Kate, realizing what she had done and immediately sobering up, brought a hand over her mouth slowly. Tears were already streaming down Ava's face and it wasn't because of the sting on her cheek.

"Ava," Kate's voice was shaking, her own eyes filling with tears at the sight of Ava's, "oh God, Ava, I'm so-"

"Sorry?" the brunette spat back, her voice also quivering. Kate, understanding the cruel irony that had come full circle, placed a second hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound of the sob escaped. She took a wary step forward, very aware of the fact that the brunette could hurt her physically and now, legally.

"I-I don't know why I did that." Kate was practically begging now. "I was just so mad and I…I-"

"Don't touch me." Ava growled as the woman continued to approach, reaching a hand out to wipe away the brunette's tears. Kate retracted immediately, wrapping her arms around herself as she began to cry. Normally, Ava would do anything to get the woman to stop crying. Normally, the sight of Kate's tears broke Ava's heart and whatever argument they were having would be over. Normally, they never resorted to slapping one another to get a point across. This wasn't normal.

"Please," Kate sobbed, "Avalona, please I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I love you, I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Get out." Ava snarled, her glare like knives in the blonde's heart. The woman frowned, unable to think of anything more to say, but Ava's patience had long since been gone. "Did you not hear me?! I said _get out!_ " Kate jumped at the sound of Ava's raised voice, having never heard her yell like that before. In fact, Ava wasn't sure she had heard _herself_ yell like that before. "I can't look at you." Kate shut her eyes tightly, more tears spilling from them as she took her purse from the couch. Not bothering to pack anything else this time, the blonde ran out as if the apartment was on fire, her sobs reaching Ava's ears from down the hall. Frozen in either shock, fear, anger, or a combination of the three, Ava stood there, staring at the door for what felt like hours. She simply could not comprehend what had happened. Everything was fine before tonight, wasn't it? There was no indication that something like _this_ would happen…was there? Ava racked her brain for a single moment that should have warned her- a single action or word or thought that should've told her this was coming. She found nothing. What could've been hours later, the young agent found her eyelids closing on their own as she swayed. Exhaustion, coupled with the events of the past hour, were beginning to take their toll. Dragging her feet, the woman fell unceremoniously on the bed, not bothering to change out of her work clothes. Tears continued to stream down her face without her permission and before long, Ava found herself curled into the fetal position, sobbing into a pillow that smelled of nothing but the woman who had just broken her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Don't worry, it's not all drama. Review for faster updates :)

 **Chapter 8**

Ava arrived at the BAU late the next morning. She hid her face from everyone she passed, knowing that last night's events were written all over it. While Kate's slap had not left a mark other than the small cut, Ava could still feel its sting and was under the impression that it was obvious. She sat at her desk, holding her head in her hands and ignoring the rest of the team as they watched her. Even Hotch, who had come down from his office for a cup of coffee, frowned at the disheveled agent. The day was slow but Ava was thankful for it, unsure as to whether or not she was capable of fighting any bad guys today. By lunch time, it was clear to the rest of the BAU that something was more than off about their new teammate. JJ, being designated as closest to the woman, was ushered in to figure out what was wrong. It didn't end well.

"Ava?" JJ approached slowly, her chair squeaking as she rolled closer to the younger woman.

"What?" the brunette's voice was harsh. Whether it was from not speaking all day or intentional, JJ couldn't tell.

"Would you like to come get some lunch with me?" the blonde asked innocently. "I noticed you haven't eaten anything all day." In fact, the younger agent hadn't even had her usual cups of coffee.

"Checking up on me, are you?" Ava said, almost angrily fidgeting with her engagement ring. "They send you over to find out why I'm not my normal, _happy_ self?" She scoffed at the idea, as if she hadn't actually been happy this entire time.

"We're just worried about you." JJ told the girl. "I know you're not used to working with a team, but we care about you. You're a part of our family." The phrase cut Ava deeper than she cared to admit, knowing that that was the turning point of her argument with Kate the night before.

"Yea well, maybe I don't want to be a part of your stupid family." The lie left her lips before she could stop it and the brunette squeezed her eyes shut under the privacy of her cupped hand. JJ, however, didn't fall for the façade.

"I know you don't mean that." She insisted. "Come on, I know how much you like Thai food. My treat." As JJ stood, she held out her hand to the brunette and smiled. Ava, however, saw only a blonde head, a hand, and a towering figure.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, slapping the hand away and shoving past the blonde as she sprinted towards the bathrooms. JJ stumbled, taken aback by the woman's reaction and speed. She turned to look at the rest of the team who had been watching the exchange, only to notice that the entire bullpen had turned their attention to her.

"What happened?" Hotch approached, his coffee long forgotten on the counter. JJ shook her head.

"I have no idea." She said, eyes wide with concern. "I just reached out my hand to take her to lunch and she panicked."

"She's never acted like this before." Hotch thought out loud, the blonde nodding in agreement. "Do you think perhaps something happened last night? Something that has to do with that cut on her lip?" They had all seen it, despite the brunette's attempt to hide it. JJ thought for a moment before a scowl appeared on her face.

"Isn't her fiancée a blonde?" JJ asked Hotch, knowing that he knew about the other woman. The man frowned and the two chose to ignore Morgan and Reid's 'wait, what?' in the background. Hotch nodded slowly, the image forming in his head becoming increasingly unpleasant.

"You don't think…" Rossi found it hard to imagine Ava in an abusive relationship. The woman was so strong and well put together. The older man stopped himself immediately, knowing that a good number of 'well put together' women were victims of domestic violence. Regardless, it was difficult to imagine Ava, of all people, as a victim. He frightened himself, realizing just how possible it was.

"So you're telling me," Morgan shook his head, "that not only has she been engaged to a woman this whole time and didn't tell us, but that that woman is _abusing_ her?"

"Why do you think she called you 'dense', Derek?" JJ asked. "Or why she practically crawled out of her skin when you asked if she was pregnant?"

"So you knew?" Reid asked innocently.

"Yes, I knew." The blonde stated. "She told me the first night we met, when we had to share that hotel room." JJ thought back to how scared she had been of being rejected. Her heart began to ache for the girl. "She didn't want me to be uncomfortable around her."

"And what about you two? You don't seem remotely surprised." Morgan asked Hotch and Rossi. The two looked at each other.

"It was pretty obvious, if you ask me." Rossi said nonchalantly.

"It was in her file." Hotch stated.

"Her sexuality was in her file?" Reid asked, suddenly shocked. Hotch shook his head.

"Her fiancée's name was in her file. I don't know a lot of men named 'Katherine'." He corrected. "However, we're deviating from the issue at hand."

"What do we do?" Reid asked, picking at his cuticles in anticipation.

"I'll tell you what we do," Morgan frowned deeply, "we walk straight up to that woman and throw her ass in prison. That is, if I don't shoot her first."

"We have no proof." Rossi reminded him.

"Besides, have you not considered that that might not be what Ava wants?" JJ threw out the idea only to receive quizzical looks. She sighed, knowing she would have to explain the complexity of the situation to the men. "Look, you said it yourselves; she's a strong, independent woman who just so happens to be a federal agent. Can you imagine what she must be feeling, right now?" She realized that they couldn't. "In our line of work, being a woman is seen as a benefit but it's not. It's a hindrance. Most men don't think we belong here, let alone that we'll excel, so whenever a woman does succeed, there are certain…assumptions made about her."

"Assumptions?" Reid asked, his naivety shining through once more. JJ sighed again.

"She means that people assume they sleep their way to the top." Rossi mumbled as JJ nodded.

"But that's ridiculous." Reid pressed. "And illogical."

"It doesn't change the fact that it's the truth." JJ told him softly.

"But…no one's said that about _you_ , right?" Reid's question was innocent in nature but carried a weighted response.

"People in this very room have said that about me." JJ informed them as they began glaring at every man in the bullpen. "But that's not the point. The point is that, when these assumptions are made, true or not, it's embarrassing. Now, with her having the reputation that she has, coupled with the assumptions people have undoubtedly already made, can you imagine what it'll be like for her to admit that her fiancée, another woman, beats her when she goes home? She won't even want to step foot in here again, let alone work with us. This doesn't begin even take into account all the press that would get. _'Federal Agent Abused By Lesbian Lover'_. That'll go over _really_ well."

"But she has nothing to be embarrassed about." Morgan cried. "She _obviously_ didn't sleep her way here," he glanced at Hotch momentarily only to receive a glare, "and if she is being abused, that's not her fault."

"Morgan, it doesn't matter." JJ urged. "Why do you think over seventy percent of sexual assaults go unreported?"

"Because victims are too ashamed to come forward." He said slowly.

"Exactly. It's the same thing with domestic violence." JJ concluded. "No one- especially a woman in a position of power and authority- wants to admit that they're a victim, just like the ones they risk their lives protecting." JJ paused for a moment to think. "I know I wouldn't want anyone, especially you guys, to know if it was me."

"What?" Reid asked, surprised. "Why especially not us?"

"Because I know how you'd react." JJ told him plainly. "And I wouldn't want you to see me any differently or think that I couldn't handle myself in the field."

"That's ridiculous." Morgan shook his head in disagreement. "We wouldn't treat you, or Ava, any differently."

"Morgan, you treated me differently after Blackbird." JJ said, growing annoyed at his arrogance. The man's mouth opened to say something but changed his mind a second later. "You all did, whether you realized it or not. And we all treated Emily differently after Doyle. It's just how it is."

"JJ's right." Hotch broke the silence that had come over them. "Why don't you go talk to her? See if you can get her to tell you anything about what happened last night."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" JJ asked, genuinely unsure as to how to continue. "She did tell me that I reminded her a lot of her fiancée." The disgust was clear in her voice at the mere thought.

"Maybe so, but she's more likely to open to you than to any of us." The way they were speaking about her like a victim on a case unnerved all five of them. Despite having only been with them for about five months, they had grown to truly care for the girl. She was like the younger sister they never had- except, of course, in Morgan's case. Now, seeing her in pain broke their hearts. Knowing that there was no easy route to fix it hurt even more.

"I suppose." JJ relented, wanting nothing more than to help her friend.

"She's been through a lot, JJ." Hotch told her quietly. "Quite frankly, I don't know how she deals with it."

"What do you mean?" JJ couldn't help but ask, knowing that her boss would say no more.

"She'll tell you when she's ready." He said. "All I'll say is that it's things no person should ever have to go through so just…be patient with her." JJ nodded once before grabbing a box of tissues and heading towards the bathrooms. Hotch knew that there was no one better suited for the task but his worry still gnawed at him. Ava wasn't prepared to talk about ghosts that haunted her past. What made them think she was prepared to talk about the ones that plagued her now?


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Ava?" JJ announced herself as she opened the door to the restroom. "Can I come in?"

"It's a public bathroom, you can do whatever you want." A low voice said and JJ turned her head to see Ava hunched over a sink.

"I just wanted to come tell you that I'm sorry if I upset you before." JJ told her softly. Surprisingly, JJ realized that the younger woman hadn't been crying. Had she simply been looking at herself in the mirror for the past fifteen minutes? _Not herself,_ JJ corrected. _That cut._

"Is that all you wanted to say?" Ava asked knowingly, aware of the fact that she had, once again, been sent to see what was wrong.

"Well, no." JJ admitted. "I'm worried about you. You haven't been yourself all day and I just want to make sure you're alright."

"Yea, well I'm not." Ava concluded. "Happy?"

"You know I'm not." The blonde leaned against the wall as she faced the other woman. They stood in silence for several moments before JJ finally asked, "want to tell me where you got that cut from?"

"I'm sure you've figured it out already." Came Ava's grim response. JJ bit her lip, wanting to help her new friend but also not wanting to talk to her like she would a victim. The blonde winced at the word.

"Want me to shoot her?" JJ asked, only half kidding. The question had the desired effect as a brief chuckle escaped the brunette's lips.

"What happens if I say 'yes'?" JJ wasn't sure if she was joking or not. She shrugged nonetheless.

"She gets shot." Ava shot her an amused look before the seriousness returned to her eyes. JJ could almost see the wheels in her head turning.

"Why?" she asked, leaving the blonde slightly confused. Ava turned and faced her for the first time, taking in her expression. "Why would you do something like for me?"

"I told you why." JJ reminded her. "Because you're my family now." She saw Ava swallow hard and wanted to know what the woman was thinking.

"I've never really had one of those before." She said quietly. "My parents died when I was twenty but even before they did, we never really had a relationship. They were always so busy, constantly traveling and leaving me with nannies and housekeepers. Sometimes, I forget what their voices sounded like- what they looked like, even." Ava looked up, as if alarmed with how much she had let slip out. The calm and focused expression on JJ's face, however, told her that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. She was safe.

"I'm sorry." When the phrase left the blonde's lips, Ava knew that she meant it. "It's hard for parents to realize the effect their actions have on their children but that doesn't make it right. Regardless, I'm sure they loved you." Ava shrugged, genuinely unsure. "They did, Ava. Trust me on that." Sometimes Ava forgot that the blonde had children of her own. She seemed so young, closer to her age than most of the others.

"I guess." She conceded, thinking back to the year before her parents died. She had taken their deaths harder than she thought she would. It was so abrupt and out the blue. They were young, having had her at 22 and 24, and Ava didn't anticipate to be orphaned so soon.

"Do you want to talk about what happened last night?" JJ asked cautiously, skeptical as to whether or not the younger agent was up for it. Ava merely shrugged.

"There's not much to talk about." She said, waving a hand. "We fought…again. She had been drinking. It just got out of hand."

"Does she…does she hit you often?" The question was so foreign, so wrong, that Ava almost laughed.

"God, no." she shook her hand. "This was the first time." She ran a finger across her lip, feeling the jagged edge of the cut. The bitter irony of the fact that it was caused by Kate's engagement ring was not lost on her.

"Do you think she's capable of doing it again?" JJ knew that it didn't matter- that once something like this happened in a relationship, it was best to just walk away rather than risk it. However, she wanted to know what Ava was thinking about her fiancée.

"I don't think so." She admitted after some thought. "You should've seen her face the second after it happened. It was like she had run over a puppy or something."

"That doesn't make it ok, Ava." JJ felt compelled to tell her. Ava nodded, rolling her wrist.

"I know, I know." She told the older woman. "She did apologize though. Rather profusely too. I know that doesn't make it ok either." She added quickly. "It's just…I can't figure out if it would've happened if she was sober, you know?"

"Sober or not," JJ frowned, "if you love someone, you don't hit them." The truth of the statement hit Ava hard. She felt compelled to ask,

"Haven't you ever had the urge to just," Ava thought as she frowned, "strangle Will?" JJ breathed out a laugh.

"I mean, yea," she admitted, "but I would never actually _do_ it. I'm sure there are times when he's wanted to do the same to me."

"What would you do if he did?" The question was personal and sudden but JJ responded immediately.

"I'd probably shoot him." She told the woman. "Somewhere where the sun doesn't shine, if you know what I mean." Ava surprised her once again by letting out a hearty laugh.

"Unfortunately, that's not really an option for me." She said with a smirk. "I still love her." The smirk was gone, replaced by the sadness that had seemed to make residence in her eyes.

"Unfortunately, we can't turn off our feelings that easily." JJ told her. "But sometimes, we fall for people that aren't good for us."

"You think I should call off the wedding. Break up with her." It was half question-half statement but JJ knew it wasn't her place to answer.

"I think you need to focus on what makes you happy in the long run." She said. "I'm not saying that temporarily losing control of her emotions makes her an abusive person but I don't think that's a risk worth taking."

"You think she'd do it again," Ava seemed flustered at the idea, "given the right circumstances?"

"I think that once you cross that line, it's difficult to go back." JJ nodded. "You're what- seven months away from pledging the rest of your life to her? Who's to say that you don't fight again before then? I guarantee you'll fight again after. Alcohol included or not, she's clearly got some anger issues and personally, I don't trust her."

"That's the thing," Ava folded her arms across her chest protectively, "I was so angry when it first happened, that I almost…I almost hit her back." JJ saw the woman swallow at the admission. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"It's completely natural to want to defend yourself, no matter who you're up against." JJ said firmly but Ava shook her head.

"It wasn't about defending myself." She insisted. "She had backed off, she was crying, begging me to forgive her and all I wanted was to make her feel what I was feeling."

"I don't think it makes you a bad person." JJ told her. "You were hurt, angry, and probably feeling a certain amount of betrayal. The important thing is that you, unlike her, were able to control your anger. You _knew_ that hitting her back would not only make it worse but turn you into her so you stopped herself."

"The way she was looking at me…" Ava frowned as she pictured the scene vividly. "She was afraid of me, just like I had been afraid of her."

"She had a reason to be afraid of you, Ava." JJ added. "You're a federal agent. You could, in theory, hurt her if you chose to. Add to that the fact that _she_ had just assaulted you…who _wouldn't_ be a little bit frightened?"

"But she knew I wouldn't." Ava pressed. "Sure, I'm stronger than her but we had agreed a long time ago that I would never use it against her." JJ frowned.

"I thought you said this was the first time things got violent between the two of you." She took in the brunette's slight blush.

"'Violent' in the domestic violence kind of way." She told her. "Not in…other kinds of ways." JJ nodded slowly with understanding.

"That's different." She urged. "If she treated you the way she does in the bedroom at, let's say, a restaurant, that would probably raise a few eyebrows. The same rules don't apply when the situations change, Ava." The brunette nodded, recalling how she had even tried- in vain- to use their safe word in an attempt to get the blonde away from her.

"I suppose." She sighed. "I don't know what to do, JJ." The blonde wanted nothing more than to reach out and embrace the taller woman. She was so clearly hurting. JJ resisted the borderline motherly urge, knowing that any close proximity was probably not a good idea.

"You don't have to make any decisions right now." JJ smiled softly. "You don't even have to go back there if you don't want to."

"Where else am I supposed to go?" Ava scoffed with a shake of the head.

"You're more than welcomed to stay with me for as long as you want." Ava knew the offer was coming but also knew that she couldn't accept. Aside from the fact that JJ's house was crawling with children who, if past experiences were taken into account, couldn't stand her, Ava knew that there would be no salvaging her relationship with Kate if she stayed at the house of the woman she had been accused of cheating with.

"Thank you, really," Ava shook her hands, "but I can't."

"Of course you can." JJ asserted. "We have room and no one wouldn't mind in the slightest. In fact, the boys really want to meet you." Ava raised an eyebrow at the information. "They call you 'Wonder Woman'. I actually think Henry's pretty smitten." Ava chuckled deeply.

"I would love to meet them," it was only partially a lie, "but not like this. Besides, _if_ I'm going to attempt to fix this, I can't be staying at another woman's house, now can I?" It was JJ's turn to laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous." JJ said. "I'm sure she'd understand."

"JJ," Ava bit her lip slightly, "she thinks I'm cheating on her…with you." JJ's cheeks reddened drastically at the thought. "It was kind of the…turning point of our argument."

"What?" An unfounded guilt swept over the blonde. "That's insane."

"That is, word for word, what I told her." Ava shrugged. "It didn't make a difference. _That_ , at least _,_ I'm mostly certain was the wine."

"Well," JJ thought out loud, "I still think you shouldn't go back there."

"Honestly, I'd be surprised if she came back after the way I yelled at her." Ava wasn't lying. "And even if she does, I'm not afraid of her. Not anymore, at least. It's my apartment anyway. I could, legally, kick her out."

"I suppose that's better." The blonde ground her teeth slightly. "But call me if you change your mind. No matter the time. Or if you just want me to come shoot her." Ava laughed.

"I will." She gave the blonde a warm smile. "JJ…thank you. I know I'm not the easiest to be around when I'm upset and the way I reacted when you-"

"Ava, please." JJ dismissed the thought immediately. "You told me yourself, I remind you of her. I wasn't the least bit offended by the way you reacted. Besides, if you think you're difficult, just wait until you see Michael throw one of his fits. It's not for the faint of heart, believe me." JJ didn't add how the thought of being anything like Kate now made her physical ill. Ava chuckled before quickly averting her eyes.

"Would it be ok if I…" Ava fumbled with her words, awkward and almost child-like. "I mean, if we-" JJ took a single, large step forward and immediately wrapped her arms around the woman. She could feel the brunette stiffen slightly at first but eventually melt into the embrace. Ava slowly placed her own arms around JJ and released a shaky breath. JJ was slightly thrown off when she understood what Ava was trying to ask, not pegging her for the physical contact kind of person. However, the nature of their conversation and the simple fact that Ava literally had no one else, heightened the younger woman's need for human to human contact- contact that wasn't violent or sexual in nature. JJ was happy to give it to her, knowing that if she were in her shoes, she would probably want to be carried out of the BAU.

"I can only imagine how hard it's been for you, having only one person you could trust for so long." JJ told her softly. "But now, you have six more who are more than ready to be here for you, whenever you need us. OK?"

"OK." Ava nodded against the blonde, ignoring the prickling tears that threatened to fall. Sniffling once to draw them back in, Ava released the woman.

"Fair warning," JJ added quickly, "they're all pretty worried about you out there. Morgan actually wanted to go over there right away." Ava grimaced. "Don't worry, I convinced them to hold off on rallying the bannermen just yet."

"A bit protective, are they?" Ava asked sarcastically as she grinned. JJ scoffed.

"A bit." She joked. "Just wait if you decide to be single again and the LEOs we visit descend on you. Something about a woman with a gun is alarmingly alluring to them." Ava washed her hands and face quickly as she laughed.

"Have a little experience with that, do you?" she quipped. JJ waved her away.

"Engagement rings are like shields." She pointed out. "But wedding bands…those things are like invisibility cloaks." Ava erupted in laughter. "Honestly, it's like I'm not even there."

"Probably for the best." The women chuckled as they agreed, exiting the bathroom. The moment they did, the men of the BAU hopped out of their chairs and waited for them to approach. When they did, Ava felt her cheek flush with heat at the concerned looks on their faces.

"Everything ok, bella?" Rossi asked, his eyes kind as she looked into them and nodded with a smile.

"It will be." Ava said definitively. "Listen, I appreciate all of your concern but I promise I'll handle it. I don't necessarily know how just yet, but I will." She took in their skeptical looks and worried glances. "But I promise that if I need someone to shoot her, you guys will be the first I ask." The five laughed effortlessly although she knew some- if not all- of them would actually do it.

"No matter what decision you come to," Hotch began, "just know that we'll be here for you." Ava cursed herself as more tears began to appear in her eyes. There were five, whole people standing right in front of her, telling her that cared for and supported her, even if the decision she makes isn't agreeable to them. She never had that many people in her life truly, dare she say it, love her. The importance that this team held for her was unmistakable, irreversible, and perpetual.

"Thanks." Was the only thing she was able to get out without bursting into tears.

Ava had to admit- she was surprised that Kate had the balls to return home so soon. Granted, it had been a little less than 24 hours since their altercation, but she wouldn't have bet on the blonde coming back for at least a night or two. She tried hard to still her pounding heart as she sent a quick text to JJ.

 _Kate's home. Don't worry though, I can handle it. Better now than never, right?_

The response came almost instantaneously.

 _OK. Call me if you need anything no matter how late._

Ava put the phone away as she slowly walked up the stairs to her third floor apartment. Unlocking the door, she expected to find the kitchen and living room lights on but everything was off. Odd but not unheard of. Kate was probably asleep. That or she was planning some sort of secret, romantic night like last time. Ava hoped it was the former. Trying to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn't wake the woman, Ava removed her shoes and coat before tip-toing into the bedroom. As a dim light shined into the room, Ava could make out the outline of a figure under the covers, but something wasn't right. The figure was moving. Suddenly, the distinct sound of a woman's moan cut through the still air in between Ava and the bed. Immediately flipping the light switch on, the sight that greeted her only added to the archive of things she wished to remove from her memory.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The two occupants of the bed cried out, startled by the addition of light and a third person. Ava watched, unmoving with wide eyes, as an unfamiliar, naked woman turned to face her.

"Oh shit." The woman mumbled, her eyes going straight to the sidearm that still graced the agent's hip.

"Ava." Kate practically shoved the other woman off of her, sitting upright and covering herself with the bedsheet. Ava's mind was blank, still trying to process what was going on right in front of her, as she blinked rapidly at the woman. Kate scrambled out of bed, throwing on a robe to hide her naked body, and approaching her fiancée slowly. The agent's eyes danced around the room, taking in its contents as if she was at a crime scene. The empty bottle of tequila on the nightstand was only her first piece of evidence.

"Out." Ava growled at the other brunette that was still frozen in fear. She took a warning step forward when the woman didn't move. "Now." At the sight of the trembling, approaching woman, the stranger shot up and collected her clothes, running out the door without even bothering to put them on, leaving Ava and Kate alone.

"Ava," Kate came dangerously close to her, "Ava, please just listen to me." The brunette remained stoic, her expression reminding Kate of the eye of a storm. "Oh God, Ava. I fucked up. I was so alone- so scared- after what happened last night that I just…I thought I'd lost you." Ava had so many things to say- so many hateful and almost brutal things to shout at the woman- but she couldn't find her voice. All she could hear- all she could feel- was her own heart breaking. Kate continued to beg, giving excuses to justify her reprehensible action, but Ava heard none of it. She simply stood there, in front of the bed she had promised to share with Kate for the rest of her life, wearing the ring that all of a sudden felt too heavy to bear, and thought _you're the biggest fucking fool that's ever lived._ How could she have been so stupid- so blind? When Kate had proposed to her, it was as if she was living in a dream world. It was unthinkable- the happiness that they had shared up until a few months ago. Three years of her life wasted, just like that. Wasted on a person who clearly never loved her, who thought of no one but herself and manipulated her until the very end.

"Please," Kate cried, Ava's silence driving her mad, "please, just say something. Anything! Curse, scream, throw something! Just please…anything!" Ava swallowed hard at the temptation. She was trembling uncontrollably with what she assumed to be rage. She had never felt that emotion before- not like this. Forcing her eyes to land on the blonde's now wet eyes, Ava choked back her emotions and said, in the calmest voice she could muster,

"When I get back, you, and everything you've ever touched in this apartment, better be gone." The statement was cold and hard, like the steel of the knife Kate had so carelessly slid into her heart. Kate broke down at the words, falling to her knees in front of Ava and taking the brunette's hands.

"I'm sorry, Ava. Please, God, I am so sorry." The words were muffled by sobs and the fact that she had pressed her face against Ava's legs. "I'll do anything, Ava, just please forgive me! Do you want to hit me?" The question not only sickened, but surprised the brunette. She looked down at the begging woman. "You can if you want. It might make you feel better. Please Ava, just do it! I deserve it, we both know that. I deserve whatever you want to do to me." While Ava couldn't argue with her logic, the simple fact that Kate was _near_ her made her sick to her stomach. Touching her in any way shape or form would undoubtedly make the brunette lose what little food she had in her stomach. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to be anything like her. Wordlessly, Ava reached down and took the woman by the shoulders, pulling her to her feet. Kate's sobs seemed to decrease, as if she was expecting that the offer had made everything better and Ava was no longer upset. She stood, anticipating a blow, and was startled when Ava didn't deliver.

"When I get back, you, and everything you've ever touched in this apartment, better be gone." She repeated. Kate's knees were weak as the phrase truly began to sink in. She raised a shaking hand, placing it on Ava's cheek. Ava didn't know why, but she let her. Perhaps it was because she knew this was the last time she would feel Kate's skin on hers.

"Please," Kate's voice was quivering as she brought her lips close to the brunette's, "I love you." The utterance was the last straw for Ava as she swiftly turned on her heels. Kate grabbed onto her hand, falling to her knees once more, as she tried to pull her back. Ava didn't even glance back down as she forcefully yanked her hand out of the blonde's grasp and collected her purse, coat, and shoes. Standing at the entrance of the apartment she had shared with the woman who had destroyed her, Ava removed the once beautiful engagement ring from her finger. Kate watched from the floor outside the bedroom door, sobs wracking her body, as Ava placed the ring on the table, and walked out. Even as Ava descended the stairs as rapidly as she could, she could still make out Kate's breathless sobs. She ignored them, stepping out into the cold air.

Her head was swimming, her vision blurring, and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she hadn't eaten since this morning. Maybe it was the sight of that woman straddling her fiancée and making her moan. Regardless of the reason, Ava quickly found herself on her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach onto her complex's front lawn. She knelt there for a moment, catching her breath and willing her sight back to normal. Standing, her hand immediately went to her phone. JJ's 'call me if you need anything' rang in her head but Ava ignored it. Dropping the phone back into her purse, she began to walk. With no set destination in mind, Ava knew that getting behind the wheel of a car was a terrible idea. She was still trembling, whether from anger or dehydration it didn't quite matter. As she walked for close to a half hour, Ava realized that she had reached the livelier part of town during this time of night. She checked her phone: 10:57PM. It wasn't as late as she thought. With a sigh, she forced herself to walk towards where the voices were loudest. Seconds later, she was face to face with the entrance to a bar.

 _Why the hell not?_

"Hello?" JJ's voice was harsh, her speech somewhat slurred given the hour. She checked the time: 3:39AM.

" _Is this Agent Jennifer Jareau?_ " the voice was unfamiliar and JJ frowned as she sat up in bed, knowing that Will wouldn't wake.

"Yes, who is this?"

" _Uh, this is Manny._ " JJ frowned at the name. " _I'm a bartender up on Q street and we're closing in 20 minutes but there's a woman here, I think she said her name is Ava._ "

"Is she ok?" JJ shot out of bed immediately, startling her husband. She yanked on a pair of sweatpants and coat as quickly as she could.

" _Uh,_ " the man thought, " _honestly, I don't think so. Your number was the number one speed dial in her phone. I think you should come get her._ "

"I'm on my way." JJ breathed. "Please, stay with her until I get there."

" _No worries,_ " the man promised, " _I still have to close up anyway. I'll text you the address._ " JJ thanked the man and hung up, already halfway out the door.

"I'll be right back." She kissed her husband quickly on the lips. "I'll explain later." And was gone before Will could respond.

Less than fifteen minutes later, JJ skidded to a stop outside Manny's Sports Bar and practically sprinted inside. She took in the empty bar and large man that was cleaning tables.

"You must be Jennifer." The man- presumably Manny- said. JJ nodded. "Your girlfriend's over there." He tilted his head towards the bar and JJ saw the slumped silhouette of Ava Thorne.

"Oh god." She mumbled to herself. "Has she said anything?" Manny shook his head.

"She wasn't really capable of conversation by the time she got here." JJ approached the woman, almost afraid to turn her over for fear of seeing any cuts or bruises staining her face. Thankfully, only the little cut on her lip greeted the blonde. JJ let out a sigh of relief.

"She was already drunk when she got here?" JJ asked as she tried to wake the woman. Manny scoffed.

"'Drunk?'" he shook his head. "Girl was plastered. If you ask me, this must've been her third or fourth bar of the night." JJ swallowed hard, wondering what could've happened between her and Kate for Ava to reach this point. Slowly but surely, she managed to get Ava to stand, almost gagging on the stench of alcohol that seemed to radiate from the younger woman.

"Come on, Ava." She urged the brunette. "We're going home."

"Kate?" the slurred name caused the blonde to pause for a moment. Manny seemed confused but continued to wipe down the tables in silence.

"Thank you." JJ told the man. Who knows what would've happened had he been less than decent?

"No worries. Good luck." He waved as JJ took one of Ava's arms and secured it around her own neck. The blonde nodded as she opened the door, making sure Ava didn't trip over herself as they went out on the street.

"Damn," came a low pitched voice as the two women approached JJ's car, "how about you lemme get in on some of that, blondie?"

"Back off if you know what's good for you." JJ didn't hesitate to move her jacket to the side, revealing the gun and badge she had brought for this exact reason.

"Shit, girl. Alright, chill." the boy, no older than eighteen, raised his hands defensively before turning and sprinting down an alley. JJ heaved as she opened the car door and, as gently as possible, placed Ava inside. Putting on the woman's seatbelt, she felt Ava grab hold of her hand with surprising strength.

"I don't want to go home." JJ managed to decipher. She placed a hand on Ava's shoulder as the woman's eyes finally opened. JJ could see the array of unshed tears that swam amongst beautiful, rich jade.

"Don't worry," she told the woman, "everything's going to be just fine, OK?"

"Mkay." Ava nodded, her trust in the woman far outweighing her drunkenness. JJ, given the current state the younger woman was in, took that as a compliment of the highest regard as she got into the driver's seat.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

By the time the two arrived at JJ's home, Ava's eyes had opened completely. She was staring blankly out the car window as she rested her forehead against the cool glass. JJ parked, unbuckled herself, and prepared for the turbulent night ahead. Just as she was about to get out of the car, Ava spoke.

"Am I really _that_ hard to love?" JJ swallowed, the question equally heartbreaking and confusing at the same time. "I mean, do you think she ever loved me?"

"Ava," the blonde sighed, "what happened?" The younger woman shrugged dramatically, her glazed eyes finding JJ's in the dark.

"I wasn't good enough." She informed the blonde nonchalantly.

"That's not true." JJ shook her head. "You're more than good enough."

"Oh yea?" Ava scoffed, the grin on her face humorless. "Then why was she screwing someone else, huh? Why did she invite some random slut into _my_ home and _my_ bed when she knew I'd be coming home?" JJ winced, having considered that as one of the possibilities during their drive home.

"Because she's an idiot, Ava." The blonde concluded. "She's an idiot and you deserve better." At this, Ava let out an exuberant laugh, startling the older woman.

"Everyone always says that to people." She stated. "But it's not true. I don't deserve anything good."

"Of course you do, Ava, you-"

"You don't even know me." Ava said, her tone sad instead of accusatorial. "You don't know me." She repeated. "I'm a murderer, Jennifer. Did you know that?"

"Ava," JJ lowered her head slightly, "it's not _murder_ , per say, in our line of work. I've killed people too."

"Not like that." Ava turned her gaze back to the blonde's, the pain and self-hatred that resided there almost made the older woman want to look away. "Not like that." With that, Ava turned away, resting her head, once more, on the window. JJ inhaled deeply, her anxiety for the woman's well-being increasing by the second. She got out and quickly collected the drunken agent. Not surprisingly, Will was still up, waiting for her to return. The moment she opened the front door, he was there, taking in the sight before him.

"A little help?" JJ groaned as Ava became little more than dead weight. Will rushed forward, sweeping the brunette into his arms and securing her there. "Will, meet Ava. Ava, Will." The joke was lost on the man as he carried the barely conscious woman to their guest bedroom.

"Is everything ok, cher?" Will asked as he deposited the woman onto the bed. JJ had already stripped the woman of the sidearm and badge that remained on her hip. She placed them in the safe alongside her own before beginning to work on the brunette's shoes and coat.

"I don't know." The blonde said honestly as she rubbed her eyes. "She's just…in so much pain and there's nothing I can do to fix it." Will embraced his wife, sensing the fear and worry that poured from her.

"You can be there for her." He said against her hair. "You're already helping, cher." He placed a kiss to the top of her head and JJ sighed against him, feeling revitalized by his scent and affectionate touch. Just as she was about to respond, a muffled 'JJ?' could be heard from the bed. The blonde removed herself from her husband's grasp and, after assuring him that she would fetch him if necessary, sent him back to bed.

"I'm here, Ava." JJ sat at the edge of the bed and pulled the woman into a sitting position. "I'm not going anywhere."

The night had been long but thankfully, it was Sunday. Neither woman had to be at the office today and JJ silently thanked whatever deity there was for that. She had stayed up all night with Ava, mainly because she was afraid the woman would suffocate in her sleep. Thankfully, after she had gotten her a change of clothes and some water, the brunette had been little trouble. She'd awoken several times throughout the night and, knowing that she would be more than alarmed to wake up in a strange bed, JJ decided to stay with her. She read a book, completed several crossword puzzles, and played some ridiculous game on her phone until the early hours of the morning, when sleep finally claimed her. When she awoke, her houseguest had, unsurprisingly, not moved. Checking the time, JJ decided it was finally acceptable to brew herself a pot of coffee. She was quick about it, not wanting Ava to wake up alone, and returned with the steaming beverage in hand. Eventually, she got up to make the boys' breakfast and get them ready for soccer practice. She hoped Ava would stay asleep for the hour or so that it would take. At around 9AM, JJ lost track of one of the boys- Michael- and went in search for him.

Upstairs, Ava was finally beginning to stir. She placed a hand over her pounding head before even opening her eyes. Feeling the sheets beneath her, she frowned. They weren't hers. She cracked an eyelid, thankful for the almost dark room, and looked around. This wasn't her apartment. Groaning as she forced herself into a sitting position, she noticed that the clothes she was wearing weren't hers either. _What the hell is going on?_

"Hi." The high-pitched voice caused the woman to jump. She turned her head only to be met with big, blue eyes and a dazzling head of yellow hair. The boy in front of her couldn't be more than four and Ava wracked her brain for a name.

"Hi." She replied cautiously, wondering why the boy was so close to her. She watched as he swayed back and forth, suckling his thumb. Ava was quick to grow uncomfortable under his innocent gaze.

"I'm-"

"Michael!" the irritated voice of Jennifer Jareau caused both occupants of the room to jump. The boy giggled loudly as his mother approached, taking him by the hand and leading him out.

"Bye!" he called back to Ava. She could only wave in response. As she heard JJ passing her sons off to her husband, Ava forced herself to think about the events that led her here. She looked down at herself and the Penn State soccer tee she was wearing. Turning her head towards the empty spot in the bed, she could see that it had been occupied at some point during the night. Her mind conjured up the worst possible scenario and by the time JJ returned, Ava's face was as white as she sheets she lay in. JJ frowned at her, concerned, until she finally realized what the woman must be thinking.

"Relax," she told her, "only one of us was drunk enough for that." Ava let out a sigh of relief before the embarrassment overwhelmed her.

"Oh, god." Ava allowed her body to fall back down onto the bed, covering her face with the blankets. JJ couldn't help the remark that followed.

"Yes, I'd assume that it'd sound something like that." The blonde snickered as Ava folded the sheets down just enough so JJ could see her glare. "What do you remember?"

"Well," Ava removed the sheet from her face in order to speak, "I remember my fiancée- or my ex-fiancée, I suppose- cheating on me. After that I can only assume that it didn't go well."

"After that you took yourself on a mini-bar crawl and drank about three bars dry." JJ filled in the blanks for her. Ava groaned, her hand now covering her face.

"Did I happen to get hit by a bus in the process?" She asked. "Because it feels like I got hit by a bus."

"I believe the kids call that a 'hangover'." The blonde informed her sarcastically. "Drink this." A cold glass was placed in her hand and Ava didn't even look at it before chugging the container dry. JJ was more than impressed, seeing as the hangover cure she had concocted in college tasted like motor oil. Ava grimaced as she gagged at the taste.

"If you wanted to kill me," she coughed, "there's definitely a less cruel way to do it." JJ chuckled, taking the empty glass from her hand and placing it on the nightstand.

"Where's the fun in that?" the blonde shrugged.

"JJ," Ava shook her head as it rested in her hands, "I can't even begin to apologize."

"For what?" JJ scoffed. "You didn't do anything."

"I dragged you out of bed at God knows what time, had you come pick me up at a bar in God knows where, only to crash at your house, embarrassingly drunk, with your kids at home." Ava surmised.

"Actually the bartender called me, it was about 4AM, the bar wasn't far at all, and if you think a four and a nine year understand what being drunk is, then we're going to need to teach you a bit about children." JJ told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just glad you're ok."

"Am I?" Ava lowered her gaze, the previous night's discovery weighing on her like a ton of bricks once more.

"I'm sorry that happened." JJ said honestly. "But if you ask me, you're better off. I know you love her, and that'll take time to fade, but I really do believe that you'll be happier for it."

"I just can't get that image out of my head." Ava shut her eyes as she recalled the sight of another woman on top of her fiancée. "How could she do that to me, JJ? How can anyone do that to another human being?"

"I don't know." JJ moved a handful of hair out of Ava's eyes. "Some people just aren't good. They're selfish and they're manipulative. It's not your fault that you didn't see it coming." JJ had definitely had a conversation like this before.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Ava muttered.

"That's a completely natural feeling, I mean what she did is sicken-"

"No, JJ," Ava placed a hand over her mouth as she shook her head, "I'm actually gonna be sick." JJ's 'oh!' came right before the blonde shot out of the room and returned with the bathroom waste basket just in time for Ava to, once again, empty her stomach. Thankfully, the blonde had the foresight to tie the woman's long hair back at some point during the night. JJ merely rubbed soothing circles on Ava's back as she wretched. Ava, on the other hand, felt as if every one of her organs was trying to escape. The bile burned her throat and mouth as she expelled it. She hadn't eaten anything, consumed a ridiculously large amount of alcohol, and now, could already feel the tremors that overtook her. As she lifted her head, Ava had to shut her eyes to keep from swaying. She was paler and a cold sweat had begun to break out on her forehead. JJ noticed the woman's rapidly deteriorating condition immediately.

"When was the last time you ate?" JJ could tell that the thought of food did not help the brunette's uneasy stomach.

"I had a fruit or something at breakfast." Ava waved a hand as she cradled her head, panting from the effort it took to stay upright.

"Breakfast?" JJ shook her head. "As in, yesterday morning, as in over 24 hours ago?"

"Yea, sure." Ava would've probably said anything to get the blonde to stop nagging her. JJ found that she couldn't help it, her natural instincts in overdrive given the brunette's precarious situation.

"Lay down." She all but ordered. "I'm going to make you something to eat."

"No," Ava practically whimpered, "I just need to sleep. Please." JJ frowned, watching the brunette already easing herself back into the relative safety of the bed.

"Alright." She huffed. "But when you wake up, I'm feeding you and you're just going to have to deal with it."

"Yes, Mom." Ava's voice was soft, like that of an exhausted child, as she drifted back to sleep. JJ couldn't help but grin slightly as she shook her head. She refilled Ava's glass of water, replaced the trash bag in the bin besides the bed, and left the door slightly ajar as she made her way to the kitchen. Despite the difficult few months that lay ahead for the younger woman, JJ knew that in the end, it would all work itself out. She also knew that if that woman ever showed her face to Ava again, JJ wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in her leg.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

After Ava had showered and eaten, her conditioned improved greatly. She was hungrier than she thought, scarfing down the large sandwich in minutes under JJ's watchful eye. The blonde was perched on a kitchen counter, trying to think of another way to help the younger woman.

"I think you should stay here." She announced suddenly. Ava lifted an eyebrow at her as she began to wash her plate in the sink. "You know, until you decide what to do."

"I've already decided what to do." Ava informed her, much to JJ's surprise. She hopped off the counter, eager to hear what Ava's plan was. "I'm selling the apartment. I can't live there anymore."

"I think that's a great idea." She said with a smile. "You need a fresh start." Ava had already referred to Kate as her 'ex-fiancée' so JJ didn't need to ask about that.

"Right." Ava nodded, gazing out the window momentarily.

"Well, while you're looking for a place, you can stay here." JJ insisted. "You shouldn't be forced to live in that place if you don't want to."

"JJ, I couldn't possibly-"

"Don't say 'intrude'." The blonde raised a hand and Ava chuckled.

"OK fine," the brunette thought, "I'll use 'impose' instead."

"You're not imposing or intruding." JJ pressed. "I'm offering. It's not like you'd be taking up space. You'd have a room and a bathroom all to yourself. Apparently Michael wouldn't stop talking about you on the drive to soccer practice, Henry is upset that he didn't get to meet you, and Will…quite frankly I could invite a group of Swedish, swimsuit models to stay over and he wouldn't even bat an eyelash."

"Male or female swimsuit models?" Ava raised an eyebrow in question.

"What does it matter to you? You'd have a ball either way." Ava struggled to not spit out the water she was drinking as she laughed.

"True," she nodded, "but I'm pretty sure that would make the difference for Will." Ava sighed as she had a slightly more serious thought. "I'm going to have to go back and get some stuff."

"I know." JJ was more than willing to drive her. She was also secretly hoping that Kate would have the nerve to still be there. "We can go whenever you're ready." Ava almost groaned as she stood, her head still pounding like a drum set.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Ava wasn't going to lie to herself- she was nervous. Having JJ with her helped but she was still more than anxious to come face to face with Kate after what had transpired between them. JJ was almost giddy with excitement, undoubtedly because she wanted to wring the woman's neck, but Ava found herself making a mental list of the items she needed and exactly where they were. She wanted this "visit" to be as quick as possible. Looking down at herself, she realized that both she and JJ were wearing Penn State tees. There would be no doubt as to where she got it and if Kate noticed… Ava stopped herself. Why should she care what the woman thought anymore? In fact, it might even be fun to have her think that she had spent the night at JJ's for a more nefarious reason than the truth. Ava frowned, shocked at the pettiness that suddenly reared its ugly head.

"We're here." JJ told her, parking next to Ava's red Hyundai. Ava's gaze, however, was focused on the black Lexus on the other side of them. "Is that hers?" Ava nodded once. "Want me to key it?" Ava shot the blonde a look mixed with amusement and warning. JJ shrugged.

"Try not to strangle her." Ava said quietly as the two ascended the steps towards her apartment. JJ showed her three fingers, the sign of a Boy Scout's promise, and Ava shook her head as she sighed. As Ava turned the key, she could hear someone pacing on the other side of the door. Once the lock turned, however, the pacing stopped. She pushed the door open, half hoping that it would smack the woman on the other side, and locked eyes with her ex-fiancée.

"Ava-" Kate halted her approach the moment she realized that Ava wasn't alone. Whatever sweet nothing she was about to breath was gone and replaced with, "wow, you really didn't waste any time finding a replacement, did you?"

"Alright," JJ growled, " _now_ I'm gonna shoot her." She stared down the woman that she, unfortunately, looked fairly similar to, and took in her horrified expression. Kate hadn't realized who she was until she saw the gun and badge on the other woman's hip.

"Are you kidding," Kate breathed, almost to herself, " _this_ is her? Christ Ava, I know I fucked up but did you have to go crawling into the arms of a woman who looks like a more desperate version of me?"

"The only one who's going to be crawling in here is _you_." JJ spat back as she took a threatening step forward. The agent smirked as Kate took a step back.

"I don't see how whose arms I _crawl to_ is any of your concern anymore." Ava said coolly. Kate's gaze softened as she returned it to the brunette.

"Ava," the taller blonde's breath hitched, "please, let's just talk about this. I know we can fix it if we just try."

"Talk?" Ava frowned. "You mean like the last time we _talked_?" Kate swallowed hard, her eyes landing on the cut marring Ava's lip. She reached out as if to stroke it but Ava was faster. She caught the woman's hand on its way to her face and squeezed it hard. Kate winced but made no move to remove it from her grasp.

"Please," she begged, tears already making an appearance in her azure gaze. Ava found herself annoyed at the sight that used to break her heart. "let's just talk about this…alone." Her icy glare shot towards JJ who was watching the exchange with crossed arms and an equally cold stare.

"JJ's my friend." Ava told her, releasing the hand, "She's my family. Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of her."

"You don't even know this woman." Kate cried. " _She_ barely even knows _you_!" Ava simply stared, knowing that, to a certain extent, the sentence was true. "She doesn't know about the accident, or Roan, or Alex-" Ava's eyes flashed dangerously and she brought her face centimeters from Kate's.

"Don't you _dare_ ," Ava growled as Kate shrunk back, "say that name. I've held my temper long enough and you can't hide behind my affection for you anymore. I swear to God, if you ever bring him up again, everything you've ever done to me is going to seem like a papercut compared to what I'll do to you." Kate, and JJ for that matter, were shocked into silence at the rage and aggression behind the brunette's voice. Ava composed herself rather quickly and began to walk away in search of a bag. As she collected whatever items she deemed important enough to bring to JJ's, Kate followed her like a puppy without a leash.

"Ava, I'm sorry." She cried. "I'm sorry for everything! I never met for last night to go that far. I've never even _thought_ about anyone else since I met you. Please, just stop and listen to me!"

"Listen to _what?!_ " Ava turned on her heels, hair whipping behind her violently as Kate skidded to a stop to avoid running into her. "You want to tell me how it's _my_ fault that you fucked someone else?! Or how about how it's _my job's_ fault?! Or do you want to try to convince me that it was an accident, that you were drunk and that somehow, that makes it ok?! And I haven't even _begun_ to touch on the fact that you assaulted me. Don't you understand? _Looking at you,_ let alone the thought of forgiving or _touching you_ again _,_ makes me physically sick. When I told you to pack your shit and get out of my life, _I meant it_. You were the first person I let in after so long- the first person I allowed myself to fall for after the shitshow that was my previous relationship- and _this_ is how you repay my trust in you?" Ava took a deep breath, making an effort to lower her voice for the sake of their neighbors. "You are a sad, manipulative, cruel, woman and the thing I regret most is that it took all of this for me to see that."

"Ava." Kate sobbed, obviously more than hurt by her words. Ava found herself almost smiling at the look in her eyes. It was a harsh thought but she didn't care. She wanted Kate to hurt, even if it would never compare to how much the blonde had hurt her.

"If I ever see you again," Ava enunciated clearly, "I'll shoot you myself." The threat was transparent, Kate inhaling a shaky breath as she realized just how much Ava now hated her. "Now, get out." Kate took a single step back, as if trying to comply but unable to get her legs to work. Eventually, she reached the door and, with a trembling hand, turned the knob. Only when Ava's voice sounded again, calling her name, did she stop, hope gleaming in her eyes as she looked back at the younger woman. "Don't forget to leave your key." Kate began to cry harder as she removed the ring from her purse and struggled with the clasp. She shot a watery glare at JJ once more before dropping the key onto the counter and seeing herself out. The two agents could still hear her crying as she slowly walked down the hall to the staircase. Only when it was finally silent, did JJ approach her friend, her eye catching a glimpse of pamphlets on adoption as she passed.

"Are you ok?" Ava seemed dazed as JJ placed each hand on her shoulders. "You were awesome, if it's any consolation." The brunette let out a single chuckle.

"Thanks." She said, suddenly shy as she realized JJ had heard everything that had transpired. She wondered how long it would take the blonde to ask her about who Roan and Alex were. "And yea, I'll be fine. I actually feel a lot better already."

"Good." JJ smiled widely. Helping the woman gather the rest of her things, biding their time to ensure that Kate wouldn't still be in the parking lot when they got there, the two eventually made their way to the door. Ava looked down at the key Kate had left and placed it in her pocket. She didn't fail to notice that the engagement ring she had left in the same spot last night was long gone. Let the woman sell it back for all she cared.

"Come on." Ava opened the door and walked out, eager to leave the apartment and all the memories it held behind. She couldn't wait to get rid of it and move into a new place. The two entered the parking lot, both looking around for Kate's car and saw nothing. Ava sighed in relief. She didn't want to have to follow through on the threat to shoot the blonde so soon. She placed the large purse and duffel bag she had filled in the backseat of JJ's car, offering the older woman a tightlipped smile as she closed the door. JJ returned it, about to get into the driver's seat, when a look of horror flashed in her eyes.

"Look out!" she yelled and Ava turned to see a large man running straight at her. She cried out as the bulldozer of a man barreled into her, slamming her against JJ's car hard. Her elbow smashed through the window and she felt blood begin to drip down her arm from the various small cuts.

"JJ!" she cried, her worry for the blonde rising with every second that she couldn't see her. The man pinned her smaller frame against the car as he reached into his pocket. Ava's eyes widened in fear as she tried to kick and punch at him in vain. Just as the man revealed a needle, Ava began to toss her head back and forth. She knew what it was, its contents familiar to her after being kidnapped four times.

"Ava!" JJ's strained voice called out and Ava could tell she was fighting off someone else. She strained her neck to get a look over the car to see a man, equally as large as the one subduing her, with his arm around JJ's neck in a chokehold. She was struggling, elbowing him hard in the gut and chest, but the lack of air was weakening her rapidly. Ava panicked, thrashing about in an attempt to free herself, only to feel the needle piercing her neck. She gasped, feeling the tranquilizer as it entered her veins and immediately dulling her senses. Ava did the only thing she could think of- she bit down hard on her attacker's hand. Her teeth sunk into flesh and she tasted blood. Unfortunately, it was too late. The man released her, howling in pain, but Ava's head was spinning and her vision was blurred. She fell to her knees, clawing at her neck as if she could remove the toxin with her nails, and glanced under the car to the other side only to see the still body of her friend. Ava looked up, taking in three silhouettes as her vision continued to fail her.

"Long time no see, Agent Thorne." The silky, accented voice was familiar but Ava simply didn't have the faculties to place it. The drug that ran through her system worked quickly and she heard, more than felt, her body collapse on the hard gravel. The last thing she saw was one of the men bending to pick her up, his figure turning into a blur as she lost her grip on consciousness.

 **Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Review for faster updates!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

JJ awoke slowly, the throbbing in her head a warning that something had gone terribly wrong. She rolled on her side, lifting her hands to her head in an attempt to stop the pounding. Frowning, the blonde realized that her hands had been tied together with a wire. It was already digging into her skin, worsening as she moved. Hissing in pain, JJ forced herself to her knees, blinking hard to remove the haze around her head. As her vision returned to her, JJ remembered what had happened.

"Ava." She breathed, spotting the unconscious brunette on the other side of the room. Ignoring the pain in her head and wrists, JJ brought herself to a standing position, swaying slightly, and began to walk towards her friend. Dropping at her side, JJ moved the woman onto her back, examining her for any injuries. Finding only a small, now aggravated, needle mark on her neck, JJ pulled the woman into her lap and began to shake her in an attempt to wake her up. JJ didn't know how long it had been since they had been taken but she was hopeful that the effects of whatever drug they had injected her with should be wearing off. Before long, an uncomfortable groan escaped the brunette's lips as her head rolled to the side. JJ almost smiled in relief.

"Jay?" Ava frowned up at her, her eyes glassy and unfocused. "What happened?"

"We've been kidnapped." JJ didn't see the point in sugarcoating it for her. Ava's frown deepened, as if unsure as to whether the blonde was joking.

"Kidnapped?" she mumbled, trying to piece everything together. She remembered breaking it off with Kate and leaving her apartment but after entering the parking lot, everything was blank. A bound hand travelled up her own body, searching for injuries, until it reached her neck. As Ava grazed the injection site, she shot up, eyes wide in understanding.

"Are you alright?" JJ asked slowly, her hands out as if she could catch the woman. Ava glanced down at the wire around her already raw wrists and shut her eyes tightly as she shook her head.

"Well," she sighed, "this is a first."

"What, being kidnapped without your permission?" JJ would've crossed her arms if she could. Ava gave her a small 'yea' before she responded with, "Well don't worry, it's not for me. We're going to figure this out."

"I think I already have." The haunted tone in the younger agent's voice surprised JJ as she stared. "There was a woman." She explained. "She knew me."

"A woman?" JJ thought. "That's pretty irregular."

"Yea, that's one word to describe her." Ava slid to rest against the wall of their new prison.

"You know her?" JJ wanted to get as much information on their captor as she could. Ava nodded once.

"If it's who I think it is," she said, "then she was my first assignment at the CIA. Katya Volkov."

"So she ran a human trafficking ring?" Ava nodded again. "And now she's back? How?"

"I have no idea." Ava sighed. "When I asked, they told me she was killed in prison a few months after we arrested her. Apparently, that's just another lie the CIA told me."

"Well," JJ reasoned, "there's a chance it's not her, right?"

"Yea," Ava prayed, "I hope so."

"After all these years, _that's_ what you have to say about me?" A voice caused the two agents to jump to their feet as the only door in the room swung open to reveal its owner. The woman was tall, taller than Ava, with bottle-blonde hair and dark eyes that focused solely on the brunette. JJ suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to shield the younger agent from the woman's falcon-like gaze. As she moved to stand in front of her, JJ felt Ava wrap a hand around her arm, holding her back. She watched as the woman and Ava stared at each other- Ava with anger, the blonde with… _no,_ JJ thought. _That can't be right_.

"Katya." Ava tilted her head slightly as she fought to steady her breathing. The woman was young, no older than mid-thirties, and JJ found herself more than surprised that she had been the leader of a trafficking ring.

"Avalona." Her full name coming from the woman's lips made Ava want to take a shower. "What have you been up to for the last," the woman thought for a moment, "four years?" Her accent, Russian, was still detectable despite years of schooling.

"Just putting away as many people like you as a I can." Ava shrugged nonchalantly, her distaste for the woman clear. "What about you, enjoy prison?" Katya ground her teeth at the mention, placing her hands on her hips.

"I didn't much care for it." The tall blonde laughed. "Or it for me, quite frankly." She lifted her shirt slightly, showing the two agents a jagged scar that ran from the left of her bellybutton up to her left breast. JJ would've winced had the woman not probably deserved it.

"Yea, I heard they didn't really take to you there." Ava almost grinned, probably a mistake but she couldn't help it. "I guess that's what happens when you're a sadistic bitch, huh?" The blow that came from Katya was nothing like the one she had received from Kate. Ava was knocked to the ground as the woman's knuckles met her cheek, groaning as blood pooled in her mouth. JJ was on her knees beside her immediately.

"Whatever you want from us," JJ glared up at the woman, "you won't get it. Let us go and there's a _chance_ we won't find you." Katya laughed wholeheartedly at the smaller blonde.

"Ah, so the mouse speaks." She grabbed JJ by the collar and yanked her up, slamming her against the wall beside them. JJ coughed, hands immediately clawing at the taller woman's wrists. "Listen to me carefully, little mouse. The only reason you're still alive is because I figured it would be fun to watch you bleed before I kill you. I'd sooner feed you to my dogs than waste my time with you. You're here to further my entertainment and then, when I grow bored of you, you will die slowly, painfully, and in front of your friend here. Understand?" JJ, being dwarfed by the woman, did the only thing she could; she spat on her. Katya released her, wiping the saliva from her eyes quickly before rounding on the blonde once more. Grabbing a fist full of hair, Katya tossed JJ like a ragdoll to the other side of the room.

"Leave her alone!" Ava demanded, rising to her feet and running towards the two. Katya ignored the cry as she wound back a leg and kicked JJ in the gut just as she was beginning to stand. With her hands bound, Ava was limited in offensive options. However, there were two of them so perhaps they would be able to overpower the Russian and bolt out the door before anyone realized. The brunette leapt forward and landed on the taller woman's back, bringing her bound hands in front of the woman's neck and pulling back as hard as she could. Katya gasped, her airway blocked, as she watched JJ begin to rise. The smaller blonde wound back a fist and punched her in the nose, a river of blood pouring down the woman's face. Katya cried out, more in anger than in pain, as she ran backwards and slammed Ava against the wall one, twice, three times. The brunette winced but kept tightening her hold on the criminal's neck. As JJ approached them, hopefully aiming to knock the woman unconscious before she could break Ava's ribs, three men burst into the room. One tackled JJ, landing on her hard as he attempted to restrain her. Ava struggled to maintain her hold on Katya's neck as the remaining two rushed to yank her off. Eventually, Ava felt herself hit the ground hard, her body practically bouncing off the dirt floor. She gasped in pain, rolling onto her side in an attempt to draw a less painful breath. As she did she caught sight of JJ, blood flowing from her mouth as the man landed a solid punch to her face, effectively subduing her. A heeled boot found its way onto her chest as Ava struggled to draw breath. Katya's face appeared over her, applying more pressure to the woman's most likely broken ribs.

"Well that was fun, wasn't it?" she beamed a toothy- and bloody- smile. Ava opened her mouth to respond in some sarcastic way only to feel the pressure increase and her words unable to be spoken through the pain. The boot turned into a knee as Katya brought herself closer to Ava, a hand wrapping itself in her hair in an attempt to draw the brunette up. "Attack me again and I'll have my friends carve up your girlfriend like a Christmas roast. You remember what they like to do, right?" Ava felt tears stinging her eyes as the woman's knee dug into her chest. "Right?!"

"Yes, I remember!" Ava cried, wanting nothing more than the woman to get off of her. Katya released her hair, allowing her to drop to the ground and offered her a sweet smile before removing the knee from her chest. Ava rolled over immediately, drawing in air despite the pain it sent shooting through her.

"Good." Katya sighed contently. "Now I'll be back in a few hours to begin our game. До скорой встречи."

"Иди на хуй." Ava managed to groan loud enough to earn herself a laugh from the woman as she slammed the door shut, locking it in place.

"Are you ok?" JJ asked without hesitation. Ava turned her head slightly to the left to see the blonde spit a mouthful of blood out. She swallowed hard. _This is all your fault. You should've killed her when you had the chance._ "Ava?"

"I'm fine." The younger woman moved to lean against the wall of what she assumed to be a basement. "Are you?"

"Yea." JJ nodded, joining her. "What does she want from you?" Ava shook her head as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

"I-I think she just wants to kill me." She told the blonde. "If she escaped from prison, then she doesn't _need_ anything from me. She chose to come back, reveal herself, and take two federal agents hostage for a reason… and what's a better motivator than revenge?"

"If she just wants you dead, she could've hired someone to do that while she goes on with her life." JJ insisted. "Why go through the trouble of taking you herself?" JJ understood that she was, essentially, collateral damage. Katya was never after her- she only took her because she happened to be with Ava at the time.

"You don't know her, JJ." Ava shook her head slowly. "She's as violent and as sick as any male unsub you've seen. She wants to do it herself. It's not revenge for her if someone else does it."

"She can _want_ all she likes," JJ raised an eyebrow, "it's not going to happen." Ava turned her head, latching onto the blonde's gaze with an urgency JJ had never seen from her before.

"JJ, listen to me," Ava pleaded, "don't get in her way."

"I'm not just going to sit back while she kills you, Ava." The blonde scoffed. "Besides, didn't you hear her? She plans on killing me too."

"Yea well, that's not going to happen." Ava said with surprising resolve. "You're a consolation prize for her. She never intended to take you, JJ. That means that her plans don't necessarily _have_ to include you."

"And you think she'll what, drop me off at the BAU with an apology note taped to my chest?" JJ sneered. "We're in this together and I am _not_ leaving here without you. I hope that's clear." Ava glared at her menacingly, wanting nothing more than to shake the blonde until she saw reason. "Besides, I'm still, technically, your superior. I can just order you to do as I say."

"I think we're a little out of Bureau jurisdiction right now." Ava reminded her. JJ softened her look, nudging the brunette lightly.

"They're going to find us." She informed the woman. "They always do."

"I know." Ava told her. "I just don't know what'll be left of us to find."

"Don't talk like that, Ava." JJ admonished. "I know it looks bad but-"

"You haven't seen what they do to women." Ava's voice was low, the fear behind it clear. "Those men, they don't get paid to work for her. They do it because, every once in a while, she would throw a girl or two at them and let them do whatever they wanted to her. None of them survived, JJ. Not a single one."

"They're not going to touch you," JJ promised, "do you understand me?" Ava shook her head slowly.

"It's not me I'm worried about." The woman's emerald eyes had long since filled with tears. They fell now, staining her dirtied face, at the thought of anything happening to her friend. "JJ, I'm so sorry. None of this would've happened if you weren't with me."

"This isn't your fault. Nothing that happens here is your fault." The blonde urged, shoving down her own fear. "Besides, I'd rather be here with you than out there worrying." Ava almost laughed at the lie, her body shaking as she cried.

"Just say you forgive me." Ava practically begged. "Just say it so I can hear it, JJ, please." The blonde swallowed back her own tears.

"I forgive you, Ava." She breathed. "Even though there's nothing to forgive." The brunette let out a teary laugh, nudging the woman jokingly. The two settled into a comfortable silence, pondering what their next move should be as they waited for whatever twisted game Katya had thought of to begin. They ignored their growing thirst- especially Ava who was beginning to feel the side effects of whatever drug they had given her- and tried to focus on something else.

"What'd you say to her?" JJ asked suddenly. Ava frowned, unaware of what she meant. "In Russian. I understood what she said, 'see you soon', but not what you said."

"I, uh," Ava smirked, "I told her to fuck off." JJ couldn't help but burst into laughter. Not in the least bit surprised at the nerve of the younger agent, JJ's laughter grew infectious and before long, Ava was laughing too. The seriousness of their predicament was sudden lost on the two of them, acting as if they were in JJ's kitchen after a long day at work instead of some dirty basement in the hands of a sociopath. Their ridiculous laughter caught the attention of the woman on the other side of the door. Her teeth ground hard against one another as she fought to control her temper.

"We'll see if you're laughing soon enough." Katya growled to herself, turning to the men at her back. "Разбей их, а блондинка твоя. Старайтесь не испортить чужое лицо слишком плохо. Она моя."

 _Break them and the blonde is yours. Try not to mess up the other one's face too bad. She's mine._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Monday morning sprung up on the Unit Chief, the weekend blazing past much too quickly as always. He glanced at the time: 6:04AM. Usually, he would already be out of bed with a cup of coffee in hand. Today felt different. He was tired- more so than usual- and dreaded Jack's wake up call. The boy was entering a stage where he hated school and never wanted to be there. It made Hotch's job that much more difficult than it had previously been. He rose with a groan and reached for his cell phone, already anticipating the wave of emails and texts that would soon bombard him. What he saw, however, caused every ounce of grogginess to rush out of him like a flood. Will had called four times and left him fourteen unread text messages. Hotch's heart froze in his chest. The last time Will had contacted him was because JJ was missing. As he slid his finger across the pad, the Unit Chief found himself praying that this would be nothing like that.

 _Hey Hotch, it's Will. Just wondering if JJ came into work at all today? Please let me know._ Sunday, 11:43PM.

 _Hotch, I know it's late but I can't reach JJ. I haven't spoken to her all day. Please tell me she's with you._ Monday, 12:51AM.

 _She's gone, Hotch. Someone has her, I know it. I'm going into work to file a report._ Monday, 4:16AM.

Before he knew it, the Unit Chief was on his feet, dialing the first number he could find.

"Rossi?" his tone seemed to stop whatever remark the Italian had on his tongue. "JJ's missing."

" _What?_ " the older man could be heard rustling out of bed, hurrying to get dressed as Hotch filled him in.

"I don't know anything yet but Will says he hasn't seen her since yesterday morning." Hotch woke his son quickly, ignoring the annoyed groan. "That's unlike her, Rossi. She wouldn't just not go home without telling Will about it."

" _I know, I know._ " Rossi sighed heavily. He wasn't sure his heart would be able to handle another loss. " _I'll call the rest of the team- you get Jack to school. We'll meet you at the BAU._ " Hotch didn't even respond as he hung up and roused his son. The urgency in his voice forced the boy to move faster, sensing that something was desperately wrong with his father.

"Dad?" the thirteen-year-old frowned. "What's wrong?" Hotch didn't want to worry the boy but he knew that he would find out eventually.

"Aunt JJ's missing, Jack." He explained slowly. "But don't worry, we're going to find her. I'm going to take you to school a little early and I'm going to find her, ok?"

"B-But is she ok?" Jack mumbled, unable to comprehend the sentence. He had grown quite attached to JJ after Haley had died. Hotch had never known why- he assumed it had to do with the fact that she was also blonde, like his mother had been- but encouraged the relationship nonetheless. He knew his son loved JJ and especially enjoyed playing with Henry, and now, Michael.

"I don't know, buddy but I'm going to find out." Hotch pulled his son in for a tight, quick hug. "Try not to worry about it, ok? Just focus on school." Jack nodded solemnly, knowing that there was nothing he could do to help. Just as Hotch was buckling his seatbelt, his phone went off alerting him to a text message.

 _Ava's not answering._

Hotch swallowed hard, tossing the phone aside and throwing the car into reverse.

"Damnit." He muttered to himself, hands tightening on the wheel as he sped towards Jack's school. "Not again."

"I want GPS coordinates on both phones and cars." Hotch demanded the moment he stepped foot in the BAU. His team was already assembled, waiting for his orders.

"Already done, sir." Garcia scrambled to show him. "All four are in the same place- Ava's apartment…well technically her parking garage."

"What was JJ doing at Ava's?" Morgan's frown increased by the second, his agitation at the situation obvious.

"That's not important right now." Hotch dismissed the idea hurriedly. "If Will's right then they must've been taken somewhere between Sunday afternoon and Sunday night."

"But who would do that?" Reid chimed in. "Who has a reason to take either one, let alone both, of them?"

"Both of them have worked on some highly classified stuff." Morgan added, rubbing his stubble in thought. "It wouldn't be the first time JJ's past came back to bite her."

"But we've already gone down that road." Rossi disagreed. "If there was any other threat from her time at the State Department, we'd know about it."

"We didn't have access to the first one, what makes you think they'd tell us about another?" Morgan questioned. The Italian paused, unable to come up with an answer.

"What about Ava?" Garcia asked, all heads turning towards her. "I-I mean she worked for the CIA, right? They've got some pretty top secret stuff going on too."

"She's right." Rossi thought. "We know more about JJ than we do about Ava so it's best to assume the threat came from what we know least about."

"But why take JJ?" Reid's one-track mind was clear, his concern for his best friend outweighing that of the new agent.

"Enough speculating." Hotch removed the phone from his pocket and began dialing. "Morgan, Reid, go to Ava's apartment. Rossi, find Ava's fiancée and bring her in. Consider her a suspect until-"

"Suspect?" the team turned to see a teary-eyed, blonde woman standing at the edge of Ava's desk. Aside from Hotch, none of the team knew who Katherine McGrath was or what she looked like. Morgan had to stop himself from admiring the woman's beauty as he remembered what she had done to his friend. One glance at Rossi and Reid told him that the two were having similar thoughts as well.

"Yes, Ms. McGrath, a suspect." Hotch approached her, not bothering to appear friendly. "Unless you'd like to tell us that you and Agent Thorne parted on good terms?" The woman was more than slightly taken aback. Whether it was because Hotch seemed to know her or the fact that she was standing in a room full of armed people that didn't like her very much, the Unit Chief didn't much care.

"We-Well, no, I…" McGrath lowered her head slightly, a single tear making its way down her cheek and onto the ground, "she left me." She opened her palm to reveal Ava's engagement ring as well as the imprint it had left in her palm from clutching it so tightly.

"Good." Morgan practically snarled. "Now tell us why you're here or we'll lock you in a cell and throw away the key." Kate frowned slightly, taking in the equally disgusted faces around her.

"F-For what?!" she cried, closing her fist once more and pressing the hand to her chest.

"Oh, I don't know," Morgan tilted his head as he rose to his full height, "how about domestic violence?" Kate's lips formed a thin line as her eyes widened and filled with tears.

"She-she told you about that?" the woman's voice was small and frightened- rightfully so seeing as even Garcia straightened at the admission.

"It's our job to figure things like that out." Rossi crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze at the woman. "Besides, you didn't exactly make it subtle." Kate immediately broke down, struggling to hold herself upright as she sobbed.

"It was an accident!" she exclaimed, her crying making it difficult to understand. Garcia stood, understanding the woman perfectly.

"An accident?" she asked, her face red with anger. "How about I _accidentally_ knock your teeth out, then?" The blonde pacifist surprised the men as she made a b-line for the crying woman, intent on carrying the promise out. Morgan and Rossi were quick to stop her but Kate had made no move to back away from the furious analyst.

"I-I know I messed up," she continued through her sobs, "but I still love her. I wanted to make it better- to fix what I broke. I went back to the apartment to talk to her and I…"

"You what?" Hotch was growing impatient with the woman. "The more of our time you waste, the more likely you are to wind up in a cell, now talk."

"I-I pulled into the lot and that…woman's car was still there." Kate refrained from using a more colorful word to describe JJ. "But the window was broken and the door was still open. Ava's stuff was inside but there was no one in the apartment."

"So that's where they took them from." Hotch concluded, mainly to himself. Kate's cries only increased in volume.

"Took them?" she was borderline hysterical. "Who took her? Please, tell me!"

"Even if we knew, we wouldn't tell you." Morgan informed the woman. She opened her mouth to ask why but Morgan was faster. "You said it yourself- you're no longer Ava's fiancée. That means you have no right to know."

"But-"

"But nothing." Rossi interrupted her with a hand. "As far as we're concerned, you're our number one suspect. You had both motive and means, not to mention the fact that you were _at_ the crime scene right before they went missing. And I think it's safe to say you don't mind playing a little rough when you don't get what you want." It wasn't necessarily true- Kate's mere presence in their office made them doubtful that she was responsible- but Rossi couldn't help but frighten the woman further.

"I would never-"

"What, hurt Ava?" Garcia scoffed. "I think we all know that's a lie." Kate, once again, opened her mouth to respond, a frown permanently etched onto her features, before Hotch stopped her.

"Before you incriminate yourself in any other federal crimes, Ms. McGrath," the ex-lawyer spoke calmly, "might I suggest you have a seat in our conference room while we try to find our agents and _maybe_ prove you innocent in the process?" Kate swallowed, her fear of being arrested for not one, but two, felonies outweighing her desire to argue. With a defeated expression, the blonde dragged her feet towards the conference room, warding off dozens of glares from the surrounding agents. It wasn't until she disappeared behind the closed door did the BAU resume their conversation.

"She doesn't leave this building." Hotch said with no room for interpretation. "Morgan, Reid." With a nod, the two men were off to oversee the collection of any evidence found at Ava's apartment.

"Ava's files are all above top secret." Rossi thought out loud. "How are we going to find out who, if anyone, is responsible if we can't read them?"

"We won't have to read them." Hotch finally finished dialing the number he had been when Kate interrupted. "They're going to tell me who it is."

"Who? The CIA?" Rossi almost laughed when Hotch nodded. "Hotch, they're not exactly keen on sharing their intel, especially on cases like Ava's."

"They're closed cases, Rossi." Hotch reasoned. "Even if they're not, I'm not exactly going to give them a choice in the matter. Someone Ava met during her days at the CIA is most likely out for revenge and they've had _my_ agents for almost twenty-four hours. I'll be damned if some red tape and an overzealous handler are going to get in my way."

Over 700 miles north, two agents sat in the increasingly cold basement they had woken up in. The inside of JJ's cheek had recently stopped bleeding and Ava finally found a semi-comfortable way to sit that didn't aggravate her ribs. The two women had huddled together, primarily for warmth, as the temperature dropped quickly. Their bound hands, already somewhat numb from the tightly wrapped wire around their wrists, were beginning to turn blue. They didn't know how long had passed since Katya's first visit but it had to have been at least five or six hours. They were tired, neither able to sleep in the cold that accompanied their bruised bodies. They were hungry, their last meal having been over twelve hours ago, but most importantly, they were thirsty. The conversation had died down significantly until it was reduced to making sure the other was awake every half hour or so due to the dryness in their mouths.

"Where-" JJ cleared her raw throat, "where do you think we are?" Ava scoffed, her breath appearing in the air in front of them.

"Who knows?" the younger agent shuddered. "She has family in Russia and friends all over the world. We could be anywhere." The news was unwelcomed to the blonde as she, once again, slumped back against her friend.

"What do you think her plan is?" JJ nudged the brunette as she was slow to answer. Ava shook her head.

"I don't know."

"You know her better than I do." JJ insisted. "I'm sure you can think of something."

"I don't know, JJ." Ava would've shouted if she had the energy, her annoyance at the blonde's question- or perhaps at the fact that she genuinely had no idea how to answer it- increasing by the second. "The only thing I can think of right now is how cold it is and how fucking screwed we are, ok?"

"My, my," A third voice seemed to echo in the room as the door screeched open. "What a filthy mouth you have, Agent Thorne." Katya crossed her arms as she took in the freezing agents. "Although I can't disagree with your assessment. Your prospects do look rather grim, don't they?"

"Get it over with and kill me then, you psychotic bitch." Ava spat, ignoring JJ's whisper of warning as well as Katya's laugh.

"Patience is a virtue, Ava." The taller blonde tsked, kneeling down to be eye-to-eye with her.

"I'm many things," Ava struggled to keep the shiver out of her voice, "but I think we both know 'virtuous' isn't one of them." Katya grinned, stroking a long finger against Ava's cheek. The brunette froze, startled by the action- primarily at how gentle it was. JJ, however, was not.

"I'm counting on it." The gleam in her eye was unmistakable and JJ swallowed the bile rising in her throat.

"Don't touch her." The older agent growled, pulling her friend back and away from Katya's grasp. Ava moved quickly, grateful to be further away from the criminal. Katya wasn't nearly as pleased. She tilted her head slowly, the eyes that landed on JJ belonging to a completely different person than the ones that were looking at Ava. JJ knew how she would react, anticipating the move, as the woman reached out and grabbed a handful of golden hair in a tight grip. She resisted the urge to cry out, as well as the desire to ram her forehead into Katya's face, as the woman brought her lips close to JJ's ear.

"Learn your place, mouse." The growl was low and threatening but JJ continued to glare into the woman's ember eyes defiantly. Katya surprised them both when, after several seconds of intense examination of JJ's eyes, she released the smaller woman. JJ plopped back next to Ava unceremoniously, the younger agent's hands immediately finding hers. Katya's raptor-like gaze didn't miss the contact and she narrowed her eyes into slits before reaching around herself and removing a bottle of water from her back pocket. She dropped it onto the ground, half expecting the agents to dive for it. She was disappointed when neither made a move for the unopened bottle. With a chuckle, she scooped it back up, cracked the seal, and took a sip before tossing it back.

"What makes you think we want it now that you've got your spit all over it?" Ava couldn't help the remark, regretting it almost immediately as her thirst reached an all-time high at the mere sight of water. Katya merely grinned as if she knew something they didn't. Her lack of reaction was unnerving to say the least. With her foot, she nudged the bottle closer to the two. Ava reached out and took it slowly, offering it to JJ who took the smallest sip she could, before taking one herself. Hopefully, having now satisfied the woman, she would leave them alone in their frozen prison for a while longer. They weren't that lucky.

"Now," Katya spoke over the sound of something heavy being dragged into the room, "shall we begin?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the delay. Had to travel abroad to attend family funeral. Please feel free to let me know what you think!**

 **Chapter 15**

Hotch stopped counting the amount of times he had paced around the entirety of his office. As he waited for Reid and Morgan's return, the Unit Chief had gone through every possibility he could think of as he tried to come up with an answer to the burning question. _Who took them?_ Morgan and Reid were taking longer than expected and, having no leads or evidence, the three remaining members of the BAU were left to wait for Will and his sons. Garcia and Rossi, both waiting in Hotch's office with him, were equally as antsy until, finally, a knock on the door stirred all three of them. Hotch opened it, taking in the disheveled appearance of the Metro detective, and ushered him inside. Little Michael was asleep in his father's arms and Henry was well on his way to joining his brother. As the wide eyes took in the mood of the room, they filled with tears immediately, recalling the last time his mother went missing. Penelope was quick to pick up her godson and soothe him on Hotch's couch, having Will place Michael on her lap as well. The detective offered her a quick smile of appreciation before taking her seat in front of Hotch's desk.

"Anything?" Will asked, the desperation evident in his eyes. Hotch shook his head slowly.

"Is it ok if we ask you a couple-"

"Of course." Will, eager to help but also eager to get his sons to bed, clearly didn't want to linger too long. Hotch let Rossi handle most of the questions. By the time Will had explained what happened between JJ and Ava on the night before they disappeared, Morgan and Reid had returned. They listened quietly to the end of Will's retelling of events, walking in as he was describing the state Ava was in when JJ had brought her home. The news of Kate's infidelity was new and obviously troublesome, but the team tried not to dwell on their emotions. If they wanted to find their friends, they needed to be impartial, just like every case before.

"What did you find at Ava's?" Hotch directed his question to the new arrivals.

"We got a recording." Morgan announced, pulling out the DVD he had been given by Ava's landlord. "The angle's not the best but it's better than nothing."

"So that's where they were taken?" Will asked. "Ava's apartment?" The detective tried hard to refrain from being angry with Agent Thorne. However, it was becoming more and more obvious that if JJ hadn't been with her, she would be here, helping them find Ava. While he knew it was not Ava's fault, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment. Instead of answering, Morgan had inserted the disc into Hotch's computer and the five gathered around to watch. Garcia purposely stayed with the children. The men watched as JJ and Ava arrived and entered the complex. Less than half an hour later, they saw Kate running to her car and driving away, practically proving her innocence. Several minutes after Kate left, JJ and Ava returned with Ava's bags in hand. The blonde helped the younger woman put the bags in the back of the car, their backs turned to the silhouette that had appeared on the side of the screen. JJ's cry of 'look out!' seemed to echo in the room, catching Henry's attention as his eyes had begun to close. They watched as Ava was rammed into the car and a man quickly subdued a distracted JJ. As Ava fell to the ground, hands wrapped around her own neck, the men saw another figure approach.

"Is that a woman?" Rossi practically whispered only to be shushed. Hotch turned up the volume quickly as the woman, with her back facing the camera, tilted her head slightly as she looked down at Ava.

 _"_ _Long time no see, Agent Thorne."_ The Russian accent was clear and as the woman's subordinate's threw the agents over their shoulders and tossed them unceremoniously into the trunk of a sedan. Just as the woman was about to get into the passenger seat of the vehicle, she stopped and turned, looking directly into the camera's lens. Offering them not only an unobstructed view of her face but a sly grin as well, she slammed the door shut and sped off. Morgan had already handed Garcia the vehicle's information on a piece of paper, knowing that the analyst didn't want to watch the video. Gently easing the nine-year-old off of her lap, the blonde was gone, off to her lair to track the car.

"Why take JJ?" Will asked, knowing that there was no real response. "She clearly knew Ava and was after _her_. Why bring JJ into this?"

"She probably wants to hurt Ava." Hotch said softly. "And if she knew where she lived, it's safe to assume that she's been following her for some time."

"What does any of that have to do with JJ?" Will's sleep deprived and anxious brain couldn't make the connection.

"It means she knows how much JJ means to her." Reid informed the man. "And if she does then one way to hurt Ava…would be to hurt JJ too."

"Ava won't let anything happen to JJ." Morgan insisted. "She'd die first."

"I'm afraid she might not have much of a choice in the matter." Rossi mumbled, almost to himself. "That woman clearly knew what she was doing. She's done this kind of thing before and so have those men she was with. Not only that but she clearly doesn't care if we know who she is. She's bold and I'm afraid that can only mean bad news for both of them."

"Ava worked four major cases with the CIA." Hotch thought aloud. "When I called them, they told me that two of the ringleaders were in prison and two were killed- one during the raid and the other after she was arrested."

" _She_?" Morgan frowned. "How many female human traffickers are there?"

"That's exactly my point." Hotch concluded. "The other three leaders Ava brought down were male. I can only assume that that woman who took them was Ava's first assignment. I had all four case files faxed to me." The man began digging through the papers on his fax machine until he pulled up the first two. "Here. Katya Volkov." He handed the first page to Morgan whose eyes narrowed at the photo of the woman.

"That's her." He said as he passed the file to Rossi. "It's got to be her."

"I agree." Rossi said. "Her hair's shorter and lighter and she seems to have lost more than a few pounds but that could definitely be the woman in the video."

"Katya's Russian too." Reid read. "It says here that she took over her father's business after he was killed. Comes from an abusive home, speaks four languages, has an arms dealer for a brother."

"How does this help us find JJ?" Will rubbed his temples slowly, trying to massage the migraine away. The four men of the BAU looked at him with pity in their eyes. He chose to ignore the pang of annoyance that caused.

"We're going to find her, Will." Hotch promised. "Go home, take care of your sons, and we'll bring her home." They could see the determination and drive in his eyes, accompanied with anger and fear. He wanted to help, they were sure, but there wasn't much he could do from both a legal and a physical standpoint. Will's eyes danced from one agent to the other as he swallowed hard. There was no denying how exhausted he was and the last he wanted was his sons to suffer because he couldn't take care of them properly.

"Find her." He said in a low voice. "Please, find her before it's too late." Hotch nodded once, squeezing the man's shoulder as he collected his children and dragged his feet out the door. A few seconds passed in silence as the BAU collected their thoughts.

"I want to know everything about that woman." Hotch's tone left no room for interpretation. "Starting with why the CIA lied to me about her death."

 _"_ _We have a serious problem."_ The accented voice on the other side of the line said matter-of-factly. _"Volkov's gone off the grid."_

"You've got to be kidding me." The woman grumbled, throwing back the covers as she leapt to her feet. "I warned them that this was going to happen. She's too-"

 _"_ _Interpol isn't exactly in the business of relying on one agent's opinion for something like this, regardless of what that agent used to do. Volkov had what we needed and all she asked for was to not see the inside of a prison cell again. We made the right call."_

"What's she done?" she asked as she tied her long, dark hair into a messy ponytail. Kissing the man she had left on the bed goodbye, she rushed to her car and turned the heat on full blast.

 _"_ _She's kidnapped two FBI agents."_ The sentence caused a chill to run through the woman and she was sure it wasn't because of the rainy weather. Putting the car in drive, the brunette sped into the fog-filled morning, her heart pounding in her chest as the next set of words rang in her ears.

 _They're from the BAU._


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you for your reviews. They really help me write better! Have a good weekend everyone.**

 **Chapter 16**

"To be honest," the Russian woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "I didn't have a plan for what I wanted to do after I caught you. I figured I'd just play it by ear, as you Americans say." Katya glanced down at the agents, as if anticipating a response. "I suppose it's a good thing though. If I had made a plan, I'd just have to account for…unwanted baggage."

"If she's so unwanted," Ava stood, quickly followed by JJ, "then just let her go." Katya laughed at the thought as the brunette felt her friend clawing at her arm.

"Shut up, Ava." JJ warned. Ava shot her a glare only to take in narrowed, fiery eyes already staring at her. "I'm not leaving without you."

"No one's leaving." Katya said with finality. "Not for a long, long time, that is."

"What?" Ava couldn't help but be confused. Was Katya planning on letting them live? The taller blonde shot her an uncomfortable grin.

"I've worked so hard to find you, Ava." She explained. "Did you think I was just going to kill you on the first day?"

"A girl can dream." The younger agent mumbled only to receive a hard squeeze on her bicep from JJ, the woman's nails digging into her skin. Katya chuckled, amused by the brunette's audacity once again.

"Ava," the criminal sighed almost longingly, "I've missed your wit. It's part of why I like you so much."

"Like me?" Ava scoffed. "I'd hate to see what would happen if you hated me."

"Oh, I could never hate you, Ava." Katya took several steps forward. Ava felt JJ stiffen immediately. "Despite how you deceived me and almost got me killed, I have nothing but admiration for you."

"'Deceived you?'" Ava found herself repeating again. "I was doing my _job_ , Katya. It wasn't personal."

"That's where you're wrong." Katya practically whispered, now less than a foot from the agents. She reached out and gently took hold of Ava's chin, lifting it slightly upwards as she looked deep into Ava's emerald eyes. "From the second I saw you, I knew you were different. Why do you think I invited you to dinner the first night you were with us?"

"Being dragged from a cell to a chair by a pair of drunken trolls isn't exactly an invitation." Ava saw something flash in the woman's eyes, as if offending the men that worked for her was a bad idea. However, the blonde simply continued to stroke her cheek as she held her gaze.

"Regardless, I had never done that before." She admitted. "I'd seen a hundred, if not a thousand, girls- each more beautiful than the last- but I never once cared to meet them."

"Why, too afraid you'd feel guilty for selling them like cattle?"

"Not in the slightest." Katya replied quickly. "You and I both know I'm not capable of that. I haven't been for a long time."

"What happened to you as a child is not an excuse to-"

"I didn't come here to discuss _that_." The blonde's grip on her chin tightened slightly. Ava had almost forgotten that JJ was still there until the woman's hold on her arm increased in warning.

"Then what did you come here for, Katya?" Ava said, her voice low. "Why go through all of this trouble when you were free?"

"'Is a lion in a zoo free?" Katya asked softly, almost sad. "No, he only has the illusion of freedom. He has a meadow and rock, maybe even a stream, but they're all fake- all put there to trick him into believing that he's somewhere else. And I will _not_ be tricked again." Ava couldn't help but swallow hard, beginning to understand just how deeply her perceived betrayal had hurt the woman.

"Katya," she started, "I'm sorry you feel like I tricked you. What you were doing- what you _are_ doing is wrong. Someone else would've stopped you if it wasn't me."

"But it _was_ you." Katya tilted her head, her eyes scanning the woman before her. "You're not sorry…but you will be." She released the woman's chin, turning to step away from her.

"I'm not sorry I stopped you." Ava said quickly, sensing that the conversation was drawing to a close and afraid of what came after it was over. "But I am sorry about what happened to you." Katya stopped, turned slowly on her heel, and glared at her. Her teeth were clenched, grinding against one another in frustration, as she fought to control her anger. Realizing that there was no reason to, Katya reached out and grabbed JJ by the hair, yanking her forward and away from Ava's grasp. Both women cried out suddenly, Ava in fear and JJ in pain, as the criminal dragged the blonde towards the barrel that had been brought in minutes before.

"I have a…what is it called," Katya searched for the correct word as she ignored Ava's cries to let the blonde go. JJ clawed at the woman's hand and wrist, digging her nails into flesh to no avail. Katya's grip was iron, almost like she couldn't even feel the pain. "A pet peeve, I believe it's called. I _hate_ being lied to. Can't stand it."

"I haven't lied to you! I never wanted you to get hurt, I just wanted to stop you from hurting others!" Ava promised, regretting her words the moment the Russian's eyes met hers.

"Wrong answer." The woman hissed. Before Ava could even open her mouth, Katya tossed JJ to one of the men. He caught her effortlessly and, over Ava's pleas to let her go, wrapped a hand in her hair and shoved her, face first, into the barrel. The blonde gasped as freezing cold water surrounded her almost to her shoulders. The man's grip on her head was far too strong to fight and she knew that her chances of surviving were better if she conserved her energy. Seconds passed in silence as JJ did her best to keep from panicking. However, after a minute, she couldn't help it. She started choking, shaking her head in a futile attempt to free herself, as the burning cold water entered her throat and lungs. Despite knowing that she shouldn't, JJ couldn't help but scream, the sound traveling nowhere. She could faintly hear Ava's cries as the brunette undoubtedly begged for her life but soon, even those were clouded. JJ thrashed about, desperate to draw even a single breath as her lungs and heart pounded painfully against her chest. Just as she was sure she would drown, the man yanked her backwards, allowing her to fall flat on her back as she sputtered, heaved, and coughed. Ava was by her side at once, pushing strands of hair out of her eyes and telling her that she would be ok but JJ could barely hear her over the blood rushing past her ears. Her lungs still screeched in protest as the frozen water drastically brought down her already low body temperature. Subconsciously, she huddled closer to Ava, the closest source of warmth.

"You don't have to do any of this." Ava shook her head as she tried to comfort the shivering blonde. "Please, just let her go. I understand why you're angry with me but JJ hasn't done anything to you."

"That may be true," Katya acknowledged, "but how else am I going to entertain my friends? Besides, I won't lie to you, it's rather fun watching the little mouse suffer." She laughed wholeheartedly, joined shortly after by the two men who towered over the agents. Ava rattled her mind to come up with a response- a reason for Katya to let JJ go. She had nothing.

"You're sick." She spat at the blonde, glaring up at her from the ground. "And if you think anything you do to her will change what you are, then you're just as stupid as you are psychotic."

"Careful, Ava." Katya warned. "My affection for you only goes so far. Don't make me hurt you to prove a point."

"What point?" the younger woman scoffed. "I've known how crazy you've been since before we met. I don't think there's a need to prove that to anyone. Tell me, did you lose your sanity before or after Daddy let his friends have their way with you for the price of a Kit-Kat bar?" Ava knew all the woman's buttons and just how to push them. She also knew that nearly drowning JJ was the least of what Katya wanted to do to her. However, if she made the blonde angry enough, she would take her anger out on her and be too spent to waste time hurting JJ. The Russian never did have control of her temper anyway.

"You insolent, little bitch!" Katya shouted, taking two large steps to cover the distance between them. She grabbed Ava by the collar of her shirt and, at seeing the smirk on the younger woman's lips, completely lost what little hold on her temper she had. As she pummeled the agent with fists and kicks, she roared, "I'll break you soon enough and once I'm through with you, you'll be begging me to end your miserable life!" 'Seeing stars' wasn't an adequate enough description for what Ava saw as Katya's well trained punches landed hard on her face and body. She curled into a ball, feebly trying to protect her head and ribs, as the woman continued to hit her. Only when a boot caught her in the back, landing directly on her right kidney, did she finally cry out. The sound seemed to sedate the Russian seeing as she stopped almost immediately after. Ava let her body go limp as the assault ended and cracked an eyelid to look up at her attacker.

"Вы не должны напрягаться в своем состоянии." One of the men mumbled quietly. Katya rounded on the man quickly, shushing him as she panted from the excursion.

"She speaks Russian, you idiot." The blonde chided the man who seemed to shrink back in response. She turned back to Ava and knelt at her side, listening to labored breaths. "Don't think I don't know what you just did, Avalona. You're clever but it won't happen again, trust me." Ava refused to let up her glare as the woman caressed her cheek briefly before walking out, quickly followed by both men. She felt JJ begin to stir at her side as the blonde slowly sat up. JJ let out a short coughing fit before collecting the battered brunette into her lap.

"Don't ever do that again." JJ almost snarled as she cradled the younger agent. Ava was too busy trying to decipher what she had heard to respond.

 _You shouldn't strain yourself in your condition._


	17. Chapter 17

**Trigger warning for the second half of this chapter! I'll probably be changing the rating to M very soon.**

 **Chapter 17**

After four increasingly aggravating phone calls, Hotch was at his nerve's end. All four calls, each to CIA officials who knew the intimate details of Ava's cases, were a waste of time. According to the Agency, Hotch's clearance wasn't high enough to access Ava's files. The ones he had received were simply a "courtesy" in the name of inter-agency cooperation. As the Unit Chief slumped in his chair, he thought of several things he would like to say about their type of "cooperation". Turning his head, he saw the rest of the team looking up at him from the bullpen. He sighed deeply before straightening himself and leaving his office to inform them of the lack of a lead.

"Don't tell me," Rossi could tell by the man's expression that the calls had not gone as planned, "it's classified."

"Yes." Hotch crossed his arms, standing over JJ's desk. The empty chair caused a sudden chill to run down his spine. What if it was never filled again? The thought was horrifying and vile and he shoved it down as quickly as it had appeared.

"How are we supposed to find them if the CIA won't give us any damn leads?" Morgan cried, his fists clenching. No one had an answer. "This is ridiculous. Hotch, do us all a favor and _never_ let anyone from the CIA join this team again."

"Well that's not very nice." A new but familiar voice caused the BAU to spin on their heels. Not ten feet away, with a large duffel bag slumped over one shoulder, stood Emily Prentiss. Garcia was the first to spring into action, rushing towards the brunette and almost tackling her to the ground with a hug. Despite the situation, Emily couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh my God, oh my God." Garcia bounced with excitement as she hugged her friend. "What are you doing here?!" Emily offered the woman a smile when she finally let go of her and greeted the rest of the team in kind before responding.

"I, uh, heard about what happened." Emily crossed her arms after dropping the bag beside her old desk.

"How is it that every time JJ is in trouble, you show up?" Rossi squeezed the woman's shoulder. "Are you her fairy godmother or something?"

"Unfortunately, no." Emily's serious tone was back. "Interpol sent me." The confused glances from the BAU were to be expected.

"What does Interpol have to do with an ex-trafficker?" Morgan raised an eyebrow in question. Emily rolled out her old chair and sat down, gathering the necessary energy to bring her friends up to speed.

"Katya Volkov, the woman that has JJ and Agent Thorne," Emily began, "has been working for us since her incarceration."

"Working for you?" Rossi repeated. "What could she possibly contribute?"

"Information." Emily explained. "She was a human trafficker for a long time- almost fifteen years. She has loads of information on other traffickers but our main target was an international arms dealer. Her brother, Grigory."

"Was this entire family psychotic?" Morgan couldn't help but mutter. Emily simply nodded in his direction.

"Katya took over their father's trafficking business after he died in 2004. She was 21 at the time. Grigory was 27 and already working as an arm dealer." Emily quickly informed them. "Their mother died giving birth to her."

"Wow, she really had no chance, did she?" Garcia mumbled under her breath.

"Statistically she did." Reid corrected. "A whole family of psychopaths is rarer than mainstream media wants to believe. Sociopathy is even rarer. Only one in twelve women are classified as sociopaths so Katya actually had a higher chance of being 'normal' than her brother."

"Maybe," Emily shook her head, "if you don't take into account her childhood trauma."

"What trauma?" Hotch almost leaned up against JJ's desk before stopping himself.

"Her father and brother blamed her for her mother's death." Emily continued. "They treated her like a slave. Think Cinderella, only rated R. Their father even went as far as to auction her off when she was thirteen."

"'Auction'?" Garcia asked slowly, almost afraid of the answer. Emily, in a rush to finish the story, didn't bother sugarcoating it.

"Virgins fetch a high price in the sex trade." The brunette waved a hand as if she could make the fact go away with its swish. "But I'm not here to discuss whether Katya is a victim or not. I'm here to help you find them."

"We tried talking to the CIA." Reid informed her. "Everything we need is 'classified'."

"Not for me it isn't." Emily wiped out a cell phone, already dialing. "Bring me everything you have and I'll help fill in the blanks. In the meantime, here's a list of Katya's known associates and past employees." Garcia took the handful of pages and was out of the room, on the way to her lair in a flash. The others simply held in their anxiety as they listened to the woman make the necessary phone calls. The only thing they could do was wait and hoped that Emily's contacts and clearance were enough to help bring their friends home.

The cold had returned just as quickly as it had come all those hours ago. Thankfully, JJ had managed to fall asleep, curled into a tight ball in a futile attempt to warm herself even slightly. Ava knew that the ice cold water she had been soaked in was taking its toll and wouldn't be surprised if the blonde contracted pneumonia within the next few hours. The thought gnawed at her constantly despite JJ's insistence that she was fine and all of this wasn't Ava's fault. Realistically, she knew that it wasn't. However, that didn't stop the piercing guilt that shot through her every time JJ let out so much as a sniffle. Ava tried to force thoughts of what would happen to her friend away. She needed to think clearly. There were several things Katya and her associates had said and done that needed to be interpreted. The most important was the man's comment about Katya's "condition". Ava remembered the nasty scar from the Russian's first days in prison and concluded that it was likely related. Perhaps she had significant internal damage that she would carry for the rest of her life. It was something to confer with JJ about. Another thing that puzzled her was Katya's lion analogy. She had compared herself to a lion in zoo- free from harm but caged nonetheless. The only logical explanation would be that Katya didn't escape from prison at all- she was let out and probably for a good reason. Having been a trafficker for so long, the woman undoubtedly had connections to the criminal underworld- connections that many international agencies would love to get their hands on. There was no way to find out exactly which agency had appealed for her release but Ava was almost certain that she was right. The only other question would be how she managed to plan and execute a kidnapping of two federal agents while supposedly the charge of federal agents. Ava almost chuckled as she thought of how screwed the agents who were supposed to be watching her were.

The telltale sign of a visitor caused the younger agent to stiffen reflexively. As the door scraped against the floor, Ava glanced over at the still sleeping blonde at her side. Hopefully, whatever they were coming in for wouldn't involve waking her. However, there was no "they". Katya entered alone and, as Ava glanced behind the woman, she could see that the two men weren't even guarding the door.

"You look deep in thought." Katya observed as Ava stood, back against the wall. "Care to share?"

"Not particularly." Ava's gaze never wavered as she watched the older woman like a hawk. Katya briefly shot a glance towards JJ, a small grin forming when she concluded that she was actually asleep.

"Then perhaps you'd like to hear what I've been thinking about?" The question was genuine and succeeding in confusing the brunette. Katya's smile widened as she approached, cornering the brunette effortlessly in the small room.

"Does what I'd like even matter at this point?" Ava couldn't help the sarcastic response. Thankfully it only seemed to amuse the older woman.

"Yes. For example," Katya gestured towards JJ, "I know you'd _like_ for her to be set free. I know you'd _like_ to ensure her safety, now and for as long as you deem necessary. However, what _I'd_ like is to see what's left of her after my friends get a few uninterrupted hours with her."

"If they so much as _look_ at her the wrong way, I'll-"

"Whatever veiled threat you've come up with, save it. We both know you're in no position to follow through." Katya dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand, taking in the almost feral look on the younger woman's face. "However, there is a way we can both get what we want."

"Any deal that doesn't end with JJ walking out of here _unharmed_ is a waste of your breath." Ava almost frowned. Was Katya really going to set JJ free? What would be the price? Out of the dozens scenarios she came up with, Ava would've never dreamt of the one Katya presented her with.

"I'll have her brought back home, or to the BAU if you prefer, under one condition." As she spoke, the blonde closed the gap between the two. Now close enough to whisper, she breathed, "you stay."

"Stay?" Ava raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal is that? You can just kill me right now and let her go since that's what you want." Katya tsked.

"You don't understand. I know you'd sacrifice your life for hers in a heartbeat but that's not what I want." The older woman took a gentle hold of Ava's chin, using her pointer finger to stroke a cheek. "She lives but so do you." Ava tried hard to decipher the woman's meaning, her eyes staring hard into the dark ones before her. "One life in exchange for another…literally."

"You want me to…live with you?" Ava was starting to understand, her rational mind having already uncovered the answer.

"If that's what you want to call it." Katya tilted her head slightly, taking in the brunette's reaction. A mixture of confusion and doubt swirled in deep, green eyes. Katya reveled in the inner turmoil she was causing the agent but didn't think that she fully grasped the nature of the offer. The blonde placed her free hand on Ava's waist, startling her as she pulled her close. Katya watched the range of emotions play out on the brunette's face. Her confusion and doubt quickly transformed into disgust and fear. While she could do without the disgust, Katya's ego was immediately restored by the level of fear in the agent's eyes. The once witty agent was left speechless, her form beginning to visibly tremble as the insinuation fully sunk in.

"You want me to…to…" Ava fumbled with her words, serving only to amuse Katya more, as her eyes danced to and from JJ's prone body. _Please let her still be asleep._

"I want _you_." Katya clarified, her grip on Ava's waist tightening as she saw the girl's eyes wander. "From the moment I met you, I knew I had to have you. I'm surprised you haven't figured that out, _profiler._ Your friend there caught on surprisingly quick. I guess she's not as stupid as she looks." Katya waited for a response and was greeting with silence. Ava was frozen, either in shock or fear, her mouth slightly open as an internal battle was waged. Katya's proximity didn't help either. The feeling of the woman's hands- hands that had ruined so many lives- on her body made Ava nauseous. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel when those hands were in much more private areas. Her own thought caused Ava to pause. _'When'._ Not 'if'. Ava swallowed hard, knowing that this decision was actually no decision at all. JJ's life for Ava's. It was a promise she had already made with herself- that if the opportunity to save JJ came along, she would take it regardless of the consequences. She just never imagined the consequences would be _this_.

"You'll…you'll leave her alone? Forever?" Ava refused to look directly at the woman, choosing instead to study the ground. Katya would have none of it. She lifted Ava's chin, forcing her eyes up, and watched as a lone tear streaked down her cheek. Frowning, Katya quickly wiped the tear away.

"Yes. _If_ you meet certain…criteria." Ava noticeably grimaced as Katya's hand traveled from her chin down her body to rest on the agent's waist. "They'll be none of that." Ava tried to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat as Katya leaned in closer, her breath tickling Ava's ear. "I want to be clear on one thing, Ava: I'm not a rapist. This _isn't_ rape. Therefore, you are not a victim and will not act like one." Ava was sure that if she had anything in her stomach, it would've been emptied onto Katya's shoes by now. While she couldn't stop herself from trembling, she could focus on biting back the tears that threatened to spill as Katya explained their arrangement. Katya wanted this- and presumably every other time for the rest of their natural lives- to be legitimate. She wasn't turned on by Ava's fear or any sort of physical struggle. She also wasn't in it for the power. This was purely lust- lust so powerful that it would either kill JJ or resign Ava to a life as a glorified sex slave. In that sense, the blonde really did not resemble a typical rapist.

"I need an answer, Ava." Katya whispered and Ava had to fight hard to resist the urge to jump out of her own skin. Risking one last glance at her sleeping friend, Ava turned her head slightly. Her eyes met Katya's and the older woman seemed to be holding her breath in anticipation.

"I'll do it." Ava found herself whispering back, her voice much more firm than she anticipated. _You're saving JJ's life. You're saving JJ's life. You're saving JJ's life._ Without another word, Katya's hands traveled around her, nails digging into the skin of her lower back. Ava's heart was pounding out of control, not realizing how soon she would have to make good on her side of the bargain. Frantic, Ava placed her own hands on Katya's shoulders, gently easing her back. The blonde raised her gaze, now narrow and angry. Before Katya could react, Ava spoke.

"Not here." She practically begged. Her own tone made Ava sick. With a shaky breath she added, "Please." Was this going to be her life now? Having to ask permission for everything and only getting half of it? How long would she be able to live like this? How long would she even be sane?

"Alright." Katya surprised her by letting go, crossing her arms defensively. "I suppose that's understandable." She cast a quick glance at JJ. _If there is a god, she will still be asleep._ "Although I am going to need some…assurance." Ava bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. The look in Katya's eyes was undeniable. Without thinking, Ava took a large step forward and crashed her lips against the other woman's hard. Katya, somewhat taken aback, took a moment to respond. Once she did, she wrapped her arms around Ava's waist, pulling her as close as she could. Ava, trying as hard as she could not to pull back, put as much passion into the embrace as she could muster. If convincing Katya that she could do this would save JJ's life, then she'd play the most convincing role she could for as long as she was able. As the kiss ended, Ava forced her arms to rest on Katya's shoulders instead of releasing the woman like she was itching to do. Katya opened her eyes slowly and took in the dry-eyed woman before her. Satisfied that their arrangement would work out, Katya squeezed Ava's waist slightly before offering her a grin.

"Right then." The moment she felt Katya let go, Ava did the same, allowing her arms to drop to her sides as she stared blankly at the blonde. "I'll make the arrangements. I'll be back for you in thirty minutes." Ava, sensing that she needed a response, gave her a curt nod before watching her leave. As the door closed behind the blonde, Ava found herself unable to sit back down. She remained frozen, staring at the large door as she contemplated what she had just agreed to. Looking from the door to JJ and back to the door, only one thought echoed in her mind.

 _What have I done?_


	18. Chapter 18

**Running low on motivation here so please review and let me know what you think so far!**

 **Chapter 18**

JJ awoke with a start, the cold immediately invading her senses as she slowly rose to her knees. A cough overcame her, sending her almost back to the floor with the force of it. As the blonde doubled over, a hand coming to press against her suddenly heavy chest, she wondered how long she had been asleep. Any concern regarding the matter, however, was instantly cast aside as she looked up and saw that she was alone.

"Ava?!" Panic overwhelmed the older woman as she thought of all the awful things that could've befallen her partner while she was sleeping. Cursing, JJ threw herself against the door and pounded hard, shouting Ava's name as well as a slur of profanities at the people she knew could hear her. Just as another, shorter coughing fit passed, the door swung open, almost hitting the blonde in the face. JJ had to jump back as Ava was tossed back inside and straight into her. The two collided, sending both women to the ground, as the men behind them couldn't help but laugh at their expense. JJ shot the two a menacing glare just as the door was closing.

"I was so worried." JJ quickly scanned her friend for any injuries. She could see none. "Where did they take you?"

"The bathroom." The lie fell easily from her lips as Ava prayed that JJ wasn't awake long enough to question it.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" The blonde reached out, taking Ava's chin and turning it to see her better. Ava managed to stop herself from flinching away just in time. Instead, she let the older woman look her over until she was satisfied.

"I'm fine." She said softly. "That cough doesn't sound too good though."

"It's nothing." JJ waved a hand in dismissal. "Just a cold."

"Right." Ava scoffed sarcastically. JJ chose to ignore it.

"We have to do something." JJ insisted. "We can't just sit around here and wait to be-"

"We don't have to do anything." Ava surprised her. The look of confusion on JJ's face was obvious enough for Ava to continue. "Everything's going to be fine."

"You can't possibly know-"

"I know." The darker haired woman pressed. "Just wait and see."

" _Wait?_ That's your brilliant plan?" JJ's anger flared as she watched Ava try to find a comfortable position to sit in. "You said it yourself- she's going to kill us. You may have given up but I sure as hell am not going to wait for her to decide when we die. I'll fight them myself if I have to."

"Don't be ridiculous." Ava barely looked up which only infuriated JJ further.

"I'm not the one being ridiculous, Ava." JJ crossed her arms. "I'm not going to just lay down and let her kill us or hurt you." Ava surprised her again by letting out an amused scoff.

"She's not going to kill anyone." Ava stated plainly. "Just wait."

"What, did she pinky swear?" JJ's sarcastic question left a bitter taste in her mouth as she realized that she was missing something. "What did she tell you, Ava? What lie did she promise?"

"She didn't lie." Ava pressed her knees to her chest in an attempt to keep warm.

"If you believe anything that woman has told you, you're seriously losing grip on reality." JJ watched as Ava checked out of the conversation, her forehead dropping onto her bent knees. "Ava, listen to yourself! You're taking the word of a psychopathic murderer who's hell bent on hurting you." JJ knelt in front of the girl, placing her hands on slumped shoulders and pinning them to the wall. "We have to fight them."

"No," Ava shook her head slowly, "we don't."

"What's happened to you?" JJ pleaded. "An hour ago you were telling her to fuck off and baiting her into a fight and now you won't even…" The blonde trailed off as she came to a conclusion. At the sound of her sudden silence, Ava risked a glance up and regretted it immediately. JJ's eyes had, without warning, filled with tears. Her features had softened and the look of anger she was just sporting was completely replaced by something far worse: pity.

"What did she do to you?" the question was almost a whisper- a whisper that JJ knew would not receive a response. She watched as Ava swallowed hard and finally made eye contact with her. Expecting to find tears, JJ was surprised by the lack of emotion in Ava's emerald gaze. She tilted her head slightly, feeling her own tears slip out, as the hands that held Ava's shoulders slowly moved to her face. Watching JJ cry for her coupled with the fact that she had most likely pieced together what had happened was almost too much for her. Ava jerked her head away from the woman as she threw both arms up, effectively pushing the blonde away. JJ let herself fall back into a sitting position as she struggled to absorb what was happening. The blonde watched as her once confident and witty partner shrunk further into herself, closing JJ and the rest of the world out. Ava's head went back to rest on her knees and JJ fought hard to stifle the tears that threatened to fall. She pressed a hand against her mouth hard, knowing that seeing her cry would only further upset Ava. The crashing wave of guilt came soon after as she realized that whatever Ava had done, she had done it for her. Several moments passed in complete silence before the two heard the door open again. Ava was almost as quick to stand as JJ was, the blonde already halfway across the room before anyone could notice.

"What did you do to her?!" JJ cried, rushing towards Katya. She barreled straight through the woman's bodyguards, who were completely taken aback by the outburst, and tackled the taller woman to the ground. They landed hard, an audible gasp escaping Katya's lips as JJ grabbed her by the collar and shook. She repeated the question over and over, shaking the woman furiously until two pairs of hands pulled her off. However, the smaller blonde refused to relent as she stood quickly, ready to tear anyone who opposed her apart.

"JJ, stop! Please!" she could hear Ava's pleas but ignored them as one of the men stepped forward to subdue her. The other was quick to grab Ava, holding her back just in case she decided to step in. JJ, fueled solely by rage, focused all her energy on Katya. She completely ignored the giant of a man that was equally as dedicated to protecting the woman as she was to hurting her. Just as her hand grazed the fabric of the trafficker's shirt, JJ felt herself being pulled back. The man had his arms around her neck, much like he had when he had taken her. JJ clawed at him, still desperately trying to reach out and hurt Katya in any way. She kicked and thrashed to no avail as she felt herself slowly losing control of her limbs. Just as she thought she would lose consciousness yet again, someone spoke and the man released her, letting her fall to the ground with a thud. Ava was by her side at once, watching her cough as she tried to regain her senses.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Katya cleared her throat nonchalantly as one of the men briefly left the room before returning with a tripod under his arm. Ava frowned, unsure as to what Katya wanted, but refocused her attention on helping JJ stand again.

"Whatever she's done," JJ heaved, "whatever she's promised you, Ava, I am _not_ leaving here without you. Do you understand me? There is no universe, no reality, where I will let that happen."

"Shut her up, will you?" Katya waved a hand and within seconds, JJ was gagged and pushed aside. As the second man set up the tripod and camera, Katya watched the array of emotions that played across Ava's face. "Don't worry, it's not what you think." Ava's stomach lurched at the crude suggestion as Katya almost laughed. The blonde took a step closer and handed the shorter woman a piece of paper. Ava took it slowly, eyes dancing from JJ to the camera and back. She scanned it quickly, a frown etched on her face the entire time.

"What is this?" she finally asked. Katya merely gestured to the camera. "You want me to say this…to the camera?" The blonde nodded once, her smile growing. "I-I can't do that."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" the seemingly innocent question was most certainly nothing of the sort as Katya took a single step closer. They could hear JJ trying to speak through the gag, no doubt telling the woman to stay away from Ava.

"This wasn't part of our agreement." Ava held her ground, a part of her still defiant.

"Our agreement was: you do as I say and she gets to live." Katya reminded her. "If you've changed your mind, all you have to do is say so." Ava's eyes widened as the man restraining JJ raised a knife and placed it against her pale throat.

"You won't kill her." Ava was almost positive. "You kill her and you lose your only bargaining chip. You'll _never_ get what you want then."

"You have a point." Katya admitted, the grin on her lips never wavering. Without another word, the man behind her grabbed JJ's hair and began dragging her across the room.

"Stop!" Ava cried. "You swore you wouldn't hurt her! That was our deal: she leaves here _unharmed_!" Katya merely shrugged, turning to watch as the smaller blonde struggled against the man.

"What can I say? I'm a criminal. We tend to bend the rules a bit." Annoyed, the man wound back a fist and punched JJ hard in the gut. The air rushed out of her lungs as she doubled over in pain, her aching chest pounding as she fought to breathe. Just as the man went to force JJ's head into the barrel of ice water once more, Ava relented.

"Alright, I'll do it!" she yelled. "I'll read your goddamned letter." The man let go of JJ and watched as she curled into a ball on the ground, her eyes looking up at her partner.

"Good girl." Katya jeered, her hand creeping up to a stroke a pale cheek. Ava remained frozen in place but JJ's anger was immediately rekindled as she tried to rise again, shouting something that sounded like 'don't touch her'. The man beside her simply placed a heavy foot on her back and forced her down. Ava waited until the camera was on her and recording before looking up.

"My name," Ava's voice shook slightly as she cleared her throat, "is Avalona Thorne. I work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. On December 3, 2017, my partner, Agent Jennifer Jareau, and I were kidnapped by a woman named Katya Volkov. Three years ago, I was responsible for the arrest and imprisonment of Volkov and her accomplices. Shortly after, she was approached by Interpol and offered a deal. In exchange for information that would lead to the arrests of dozens more like her, she would remain out of prison. Volkov took the deal and, to ensure that she wasn't compromised, her death was faked on April 16th, 2014. Everyone who wasn't in direct contact with her, including myself, believed that she was dead. I have caused Katya a great deal of pain, both physical and emotional, and for that, I am sorry. I've betrayed her, lied to her, and almost caused her death on more than one occasion. An apology, however, is not enough to make up for the losses she has suffered because of me." Ava paused, her heart racing as she swallowed hard, her stomach flopping as she spoke. She opened her mouth, fully prepared to finish the letter, but stopped as soon as she made eye contact with JJ. The pause was apparently too long and Katya stepped into the frame. She grabbed Ava by the collar, hoisted her up slightly, and growled in her ear,

"Finish it or I'll tell the entire world all about how you murdered your son." Ava's blood ran cold as she looked up at the woman. There was no mistaking those eyes- Katya wasn't bluffing. As the blonde released her, Ava struggled to find her voice again, eyes wide as she purposely kept her gaze away from JJ. When she did, it was lower and trembling much more than before.

"Despite my transgressions, Katya and I have reached a…a mutually beneficial agreement in order for me to make up for what I've done. I will remain here, with Katya and her associates, for as long as she deems necessary. In exchange, Katya will release Agent Jareau, alive and in good health, to return to her family." JJ's cries of disapproval were undoubtedly audible to whoever would be watching the recording in the near future. No one in the room seemed to care.

"To my team…my family," Ava's eyes finally filled with tears as she realized that this would be the last the BAU ever saw of her, "I ask only one thing: do not look for me. You will only succeed in bringing more pain to other, innocent people. Please…consider this my last request to you, the only people in this world that have ever made me feel at home." Ava released a breath as the red light turned off and the recording was finished.

"I don't recall asking you to improvise but I suppose it'll do." Katya crossed her arms as the men collected everything. Ava didn't move as the blonde approached her again. Even JJ didn't make a sound, her mind still reeling from everything she had just heard. "Don't look so down, Avalona. The whole world is going to hear your story. You'll be a hero. You'll be famous." Katya patted her cheek lightly before letting out a chuckle and following the men out of the room, leaving the two agents alone once more.

Six cups of coffee in, the remaining BAU could do nothing but rub their temples and groan as disappointment after disappointment landed in their laps. Their sleep deprived minds could hear the background noise of the afternoon news but failed to register what was being said. It was only until Garcia shuffled in and looked up at the screen did they realize something was terribly wrong. The bright pink and green mug shattered, startling them all, as Penelope read the headline of the latest news story, plastered across the screen alongside a dirty and tattered Ava.

 **KIDNAPPED FBI AGENT EXPLAINS ALL; BEGS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STAND DOWN**

WARNING: THIS CONTENT COULD BE CONSIDERED GRAPHIC


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 _Please…consider this my last request to you, the only people in this world that have ever made me feel at home._

The plea rang in the ears of all six agents as the recording was played over and over again.

"She said 'last request'." Reid pointed out the obvious. "Why would she say that if Volkov only plans on keeping her for a short while?"

"Don't be so naïve, Reid." Morgan pouted. "That woman will never let Ava just go home."

"Perhaps it was on the paper she was forced to read." Rossi suggested only to see Emily already shaking her head in disagreement.

"No, that part wasn't scripted." Emily took in the skeptical looks from her old teammates. "Her mannerisms and expression change when she's going off-script. Watch closely." Emily replayed the video, taking in the clearly agitated faces of the men. Garcia seemed adamant at avoiding the screen. "The same thing happens when she calls you guys her family…and when she makes sure to add that JJ is supposed to be returned 'alive and in good health'."

"Emily's right." Hotch agreed. "I see it now." The rest of the team nodded, also catching the not-to-subtle tells Ava was giving off. They frowned at themselves, annoyed that they needed to be shown something that was so blatantly in their mandate.

"That's why I'm here." Emily tried to reassure them. "I know you guys care for her as much as you do for JJ. I'm here to be as objective as possible given the circumstances."

" _Objective?_ " Morgan crossed his arms. "How can you be objective when you know that JJ is no more than two feet away in that video? You can't pretend like you didn't hear her yelling in the background."

"I'm not pretending, Derek, but hearing her only tells me one thing: she's alive. And besides, hearing and seeing her aren't the same thing." Emily knew that the longer she pondered about her friend's fate and wellbeing, the more difficult it would be to focus on finding her. Of course she wanted to help Ava but she had never met the woman. However, the moment Volkov had dragged JJ into this, she made it personal and Emily wasn't about to let her walk away.

"Garcia, can you analyze the video?" Hotch requested. "Any information you can give us will be useful." Without a word, the normally bubbly technical analyst rose and left the room hurriedly.

"I suppose someone should deal with _that_." Rossi motioned casually to the sobbing woman they had confined to the briefing room. No one was particularly keen on calming down, let alone consoling, Ava's ex-fiancée after she had seen the news coverage but her sobs were beginning to distract the entire bullpen and it wasn't exactly productive.

"I'll do it." Emily sighed. "I'm probably the least likely out of us to shoot her."

"Careful, she might accuse you of sleeping with Ava." Morgan's disdain for the woman was evident but Emily couldn't help but chuckle.

"Even _I'm_ not that good." As the door shut gently behind her, the men of the BAU slowly turned to look at their Unit Chief.

"So what are you going to do to convince her to come back?" Rossi was the first to ask. Reid and Morgan simply crossed their arms as they waited for a response.

"Emily will come back if she wants to come back. There's nothing stopping her." Hotch replied. The three listening were clearly dissatisfied.

"We all know she left because she needed space from us after Doyle." Rossi explained. "JJ explained it perfectly when she said that we treated her differently so I can't exactly blame her for leaving."

"Then what makes you think she's suddenly ready to leave the life she's made for herself in London just for us?" Hotch raised an eyebrow in question.

"Are you serious?" Morgan almost laughed. "She dropped everything the second she heard about JJ. We're her family, Hotch. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she's wanted to come back for years."

"Then what's stopping her?" Reid added. "Rossi's right about why she left but it's been years since Doyle. If she wants to come back, why hasn't she already?"

"Maybe she's waiting for an invitation. Maybe she thinks, especially now that we found Ava, that we don't want her back." Rossi guessed.

"That's ridiculous." Hotch shook his head. "Emily knows how much we care about her. But it seems like you're forgetting the literal life-or-death situation that she came here for…and the fact that her agency was in charge of Volkov's release."

"I have no doubt that she's here to help save JJ and Ava." Morgan raised his hands defensively. "But I also think that one of us should talk to her after all of this is over." All eyes, once again, fell on Hotch.

"Why does it have to be me?" Hotch didn't exactly dread the conversation but wanted to know why his team was so adamant that he be the one to speak to Emily.

"Oh come on." Morgan tilted his head in amusement. "It's just us here man. You don't have to hide it."

"What exactly is it that I'm hiding?" The look on Hotch's face was almost threatening, daring Morgan to answer.

"All we're saying is that you've known her the longest." Rossi jumped in to save his tactless friend. "You have a better chance of getting her to tell you what she's really thinking. You know how she is when any sort of emotions come up. If any of us bring it up, she'll close right up."

"I suppose you have a point." Hotch's glare slowly left Morgan as he conceded. "But after we get JJ and Ava back." The others nodded, adamant on making sure the two women were safe before anything else. As Hotch left the room, presumably to check on Garcia's progress, Rossi slapped the back of Morgan's head.

"What the hell?!" The taller man cried out.

"A bull in a china shop is subtler than you." Morgan rubbed his head as he frowned.

"Don't tell me you're not just as tired of watching them shoot bedroom eyes at each other as I am."

"That's not the point." Rossi and Morgan ignored Reid's low 'what?'. "The point is that we can't play matchmaker with them. We couldn't before and we most certainly can't now."

"Well 'before' kind of led to her moving three thousand miles away so I'm not really picking up what you're putting down, Rossi."

"Have you ever met two more stubborn people in your life?" Morgan shook his head. "Exactly. If we even hint at the possibility that they have feelings for one another, both of them will adamantly refuse it until it's too late. So keep your trap shut and let's focus on finding our girls."

"Fine. Then hopefully JJ could have a little sit-down with Emily and make her see just how into Hotch she really is."

"We have to find her first." Rossi reminded him somberly. Morgan nodded, holding the door for the older man as the two returned to their desks. Reid was left alone in the office, a dumbfounded expression on his face as his mouth hung slightly.

"Hotch and Emily?" he asked himself. Dismissing the possibility with little more than a scoff and a shake of the head, Reid quickly collected his things and rejoined his teammates in the bullpen.

* * *

"I just got off the phone with the news station that aired the video." Emily announced. "According to their security, it was dropped off at the station around 5 o'clock this afternoon."

"Right on time to make the 6PM news. How convenient." Rossi muttered under his breath.

"We've got video surveillance of the drop-off coming in now but I think it's safe to say that we won't be surprised when it's one of the two men who kidnapped Ava and JJ." Emily crossed her arms, hugging herself as she took in the defeated looks on her teammates' faces.

"What do we do now?" Reid asked, the sadness in his voice clear. They all felt as he did- demoralized and exhausted- but knew that there had to be something more. No one simply vanishes into thin air, not even professional kidnappers.

"Ava's team in the CIA caught wind of Volkov because she operated in a select few areas." Hotch explained. "Maybe she's made the same mistake now."

"Whatever assets she had were confiscated by Interpol when we cut a deal with her." Emily frowned, doubting that Volkov would be that stupid.

"Yes but she's not alone." Rossi reminded them. "What if it's not _her_ assets they're utilizing?"

"Even if one of those guys is able to help, we don't know who they are." Morgan huffed in annoyance. "How are we supposed to find their assets without knowing their names?"

"We start with what we do know." Emily concluded. "We know that Volkov has had people on the outside since before her arrest. We know that at least one, if not both, of those men have worked with her before. That's where we start."

"ID them and the mice will lead us straight to the cheese." Rossi nodded slowly in agreement. Just as Emily was about to speak again, her phone went off. A light seemed to go off behind her eyes as she quickly read the screen.

"What is it?" Hotch was the first to notice, sitting up straighter than before. Emily looked up and beamed at him.

"The best lead we've had since all this started." Emily was already collecting her jacket and purse, motioning for the others to follow as she explained. "Metro PD tracked down our anonymous courier. He's got quite the list of priors as well as, wait for it, a kidnapping charge in 2011 in the same city Volkov was operating in that year."

"Is he one of the guys who took Ava and JJ?" Morgan asked quickly. Emily shook her head.

"No. He's his brother."

* * *

"Mr. Antonov," Emily dragged the steel chair out for herself, dropping a pile of files on the desk in front of her. The man on the other side of the table, Dima Antonov, narrowed his gaze as he scanned his eyes over her. "I have little time and even less patience so here's how this is going to go: you're going to tell me where your brother and Katya Volkov are hiding out and I'm going to attempt to dissuade the Attorney General from charging you with assisting in the kidnapping of two federal agents."

"Federal agents?" The Russian accent was slight but detectable. "What are you talking about?" Emily sat, crossed her legs, and took an audible, deep breath.

"Dima," she sighed, reaching out to open the files on the table and reveal photos of the video Volkov had sent in, "what part of 'I have no time or patience' didn't you understand?"

"I understand perfectly, lady." Antonov slammed his hand against the photos and shoved them away. "But if you're trying to pin _this_ on me, I sure as hell am not about to help you."

"We know it's your brother who took them." Emily calmly explained. "Your brother, his friend, and Katya Volkov are looking at the death penalty and unless you want to join them, you're going to tell me everything you know."

"I got the tape, I dropped it off. That's not a crime, now is it?" Antonov could tell that Emily was running low on restraint as the brunette bit the inside of her cheek. "Now unless you're going to charge me with something, _сука_ , I suggest you get out of my way before I-" The threat was never completed as Emily stood abruptly, reached forward, and grabbed the man by the hair. Slamming his head down on the table, she brought her face dangerously close to his as he groaned in pain.

"Here's what _I_ suggest, _bitch_ :" Emily could already hear the BAU opening the door behind her but she didn't care. Enough was enough and she wasn't about to be jerked around by a low-life like Antonov while her family was in danger. "You tell me everything, and I mean _everything_ , about your scum brother and his girlfriend before they hurt my friends or I will rain legal brimstone down on you so hard, it'll make God jealous."

" _Emily_ ," Hotch's voice in her ear almost caused her to grind her teeth to dust before he finished, " _we've got something_." With that, she shoved the man back into his chair and tilted her head as she spoke.

"Think long and hard about this decision, Dima." She told him. "Your brother set you up to take the fall on this and you know it. If that's the kind of guy you want to get the chair for then by all means, keep covering for him. You have ten minutes." Emily left the room without a second glance, leaving the man with his thoughts. As she entered the observation room, Reid felt obligated to inform her.

"The District of Columbia doesn't have the death penalty." Emily merely shrugged.

"Does it look like he knows that?" Reid cast a sidelong glance at the man behind the glass. "We don't have time to place nice, Reid. Ava and JJ could already be…they could be hurt." Reid raised his hands defensively, signaling that he was not questioning her methods.

"Garcia's got something on the video." Morgan informed her as the group of five speed-walked towards where they knew the analyst would be. Before they were all even in the room, Garcia was already explaining her discovery.

"So as much as I hated- and I mean really, truly, deeply, _despised_ \- having to watch this video as many times as I did," she sighed, "I found something. You see where Volkov enters the frame and uh…manhandles Ava?" The rest nodded, having committed the scene to memory. "If you zoom in and isolate the image enough, you can see that there's something in her back pocket." Garcia giddily demonstrated and, sure enough, the rest of the BAU could eventually make out the image.

"It's a piece of paper." Morgan squinted. "With writing on it."

"I've already started working on cleaning up the image." Garcia beat him to it. "So far I've made out 'Mabel Wadsworth'."

"Does that help us in any way, Garcia?" Rossi frowned, unsure as to why this discovery was so important if the name didn't mean anything.

"Oh, my Italian Stallion, it helps us in _every_ way." Garcia grinned. "Mabel Wadsworth isn't a person. Well, I'm sure she was a person at some point but she's not relevant to us at this point in time. The Mabel Wadsworth Center in Bangor, Maine is a health clinic."

"A clinic?" Emily raised an eyebrow. "Why would she be going to a clinic in between whatever she's been been doing to JJ and Ava?"

"Could she be bringing them there for some reason?" Hotch asked. Garcia tsked in response.

"Not unless we're missing a crucial detail about one of our crime fighters."

"Why not?"

"Because the Mabel Wadsworth Center is an abortion clinic."

* * *

 **Back in the writing mood so I'm sure I'll have more for you soon. Hope everyone had a good holiday and a happy New Year. Let me know what you think so far in the reviews!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Bangor, Maine." Emily's voice caused Dima Antonov to jump in his seat as she quickly sat back down. "What does it mean to you?"

"What? Nothing." Dima shook his head quickly, Emily's previous threat and analysis having had the desired effect. "Why?"

"You don't get to ask questions." Emily silenced him. "You answer them and if I don't get one within the next ten seconds, you're going to spend the rest of your short life in a metal box." Emily began to countdown rather quickly, flustering the man as he fumbled with his words.

"I-I don't know why it's important, I swear!" he shouted over her counting. She didn't stop. "I've only been there like three times in my life. There's nothing there!"

"You've been there?" Emily asked and Dima nodded quickly. "Was your brother with you?" He nodded again.

"Yea, it's on the way to our family's cabin. Mom, Dad, and Vic used to miss the cold so they bought this cabin up in the middle of nowhere and fixed it up. When they died, it went to Vic." Dima explained.

"Vic. That's your brother?" He nodded slowly.

"Victor. He doesn't use that name anymore." The Russian told her softly, almost afraid to betray his brother despite the distance between them.

"His name, Dima." Emily pushed. "Now."

"Last time he told me, he was going by 'Petyr Volkov'." Emily took out the map of the state that she had purposely brought and laid it out in front of him.

"How progressive of him." She muttered. "Mark the cabin and you can leave after we find them."

"Leave?" Dima frowned, having perceived Emily's threats to be genuine.

"You didn't want to help them kidnap that girl in Seattle, did you?" Emily's gaze softened as she took in the man. He was scared and rightfully so. His brother was a merciless criminal who would undoubtedly kill him if he knew what was transpiring now. However, if it was up to Emily, 'Petyr Volkov' would be dead before the sun went down. "Vic dragged you along and you got caught. Isn't that right?"

"Y-Yea." Dima admitted. "He was always so…violent. Always got what he wanted because everyone was too afraid to say 'no' to him…including me."

"Well I'm not going to punish you for your brother's crimes, Dima." Emily promised. "Show me where he is and I swear, he will never hurt you or anyone else again." She extended her hand and waited for him to grab the marker from her. With a deep breath and shake of the head, Dima Antonov betrayed his brother and placed a big, red dot outside of the small town of Houlton, Maine. As Emily stood to leave, Dima called out to her once more.

"He's not going to let you take her again." He cautioned. "Katya, I mean. He's been in love with her for years."

"I assumed as much." Emily told him. "Don't worry, we'll get them." _Just let him try and get in our way._

It had been hours since Katya and her friends had left with the recording. Neither of the two women had spoken since. Ava had removed the gag from JJ's mouth and resumed her previous position against the wall. Knees tucked in tight, elbows barely holding up her head, Ava had been the pinnacle of silence since their departure. She simply had nothing to say. JJ, on the other hand, was actively fighting against the desire to scream. She suppressed the urge, choosing instead to mull over everything she had learned.

She was being released.

Ava was staying behind.

Katya had blackmailed Ava into doing something abhorrent to make it so.

Ava had a son.

Ava's son was dead.

Each piece of news was more shocking than the last and, if she was being honest with herself, JJ wasn't sure which pained her more. To know that her friend had been struggling with something as dreadful as the death of a child _alone_ was enough to break JJ's heart. While all the pieces of the puzzle that was Avalona Thorne were starting to fit together, the image they formed was one JJ wished she could forget. The blonde agent tried hard to push past the wall of grief and guilt that had been placed in front of her and focus on getting both of them out. Despite the secrets Ava had kept, JJ meant it when she had said that there was no power that could make her leave without her friend. However, getting out involved speaking to one another and JJ was simply at a loss for words. She wanted nothing more than to comfort the woman but would words ever ease the pain Ava had undoubtedly been living with? She knew from personal experience that they probably wouldn't. Now, with this new trauma, would she even be willing to speak? These were all questions that JJ knew she couldn't answer herself. She needed to speak…even if Ava wouldn't.

"I-I don't know if you remember," JJ cleared her throat, "but the night before we were taken, you called yourself a murderer. Is…is that what you meant?" The blonde saw her friend swallow hard but continue to stare at the wall, unmoving. "Ava, I…I don't believe you're a murderer. I don't believe it for a second."

"I also said," Ava's voice surprised JJ, "that you don't know me." JJ began scooting towards the taller woman, watching her closely for any signs that she should back off.

"I may not know everything about you," JJ admitted, "but I know plenty of murderers and you are _nothing_ like them. You would never hurt an innocent person, especially…especially a child." She could see Ava's breath hitch and, instead of continuing the conversation, chose to sit closer but far away enough to not startle her.

"I…" JJ could see just how hard it was for Ava to get the words out and she couldn't help but wonder if this was the first time she was discussing it. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"I know." JJ cooed. "Whatever happened, Ava, I know it wasn't your fault. You're a good person with a gentle heart and when this is all over, I'm going to prove it to you."

"This'll never be over." Ava turned her head but refrained from raising her gaze. "Not for me."

"They're not taking me out of here without you." JJ's voice hardened. "I don't care what sort of twisted deal she forced you to make but she can take it straight to hell when I send her there."

"Why do you care?" The brunette's voice was low and defeated, much like its owner. It only succeeded in breaking JJ's heart further. Her voice trembled with emotion when she replied.

"Because we're a family," she insisted, "and families fight for each other until the end."

"I don't want you to have an 'end', Jennifer." Ava sighed. "That's the whole point."

"Did you ever think of what kind of life I would have knowing that you sacrificed _everything_ just so I could live?" JJ's patience was wearing thin, much like the remaining time they had before Volkov returned. "I would blame and _hate_ myself for ever letting you go, Ava. That's not a life. That's hell. I would rather die in this room, today, with you, than live a life that was bought with your freedom."

"I won't ask you to risk death for of _my_ mistakes." Ava frowned, still refusing to meet the blonde's eyes. "Volkov i _my_ problem, not yours."

"See, that's the thing about families:" JJ tried to explain. "Their problems usually become yours. It comes with the territory so either accept my help or don't. It's not going to change the fact that your deal with the devil is officially null and void." She could see Ava struggling to control her temper and could understand why. Whatever the price was- which JJ was sure she had already figured out but forbade herself from thinking of just yet- Ava had already begun to pay it. If she had gone through that for _nothing_ , it would certainly piss JJ off too. However, it didn't make a difference. Whatever Katya had done to Ava could be addressed after they were free of her. Until then, the only thing JJ could focus on was surviving.

"The next time they come in here, it'll probably be just the men." JJ surmised. "If you help me, there's a chance we can take them."

"You're willing to bet your life on a _chance_ when you've already been guaranteed your freedom." Ava almost laughed. "You're insane."

"Yea, maybe but we can talk about that another time." JJ spoke quickly, unsure of how much time they had left. "Now, are you in?" Ava, raising her eyes to finally meet her partner's, saw no other option than to nod.

It didn't take long for the two agents to get their wish. Less than an hour later, two sets of heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the door. Ava and JJ steeled themselves, knowing that if they failed, they would likely never see each other again. JJ cast one last look towards her partner. While she doubted that she looked much better, her worry for the younger woman's wellbeing was at the forefront of her mind. Could Ava manage to take down one of the men on her own? Sure, she was a skilled enough agent but JJ's experience far outweighed the brunette's and she couldn't help but take in Ava's slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. All in all, she looked nothing like a woman who was prepared to fight for her life and freedom. As the door began to open, JJ clenched her fists tightly, making a pact with herself as everything around her seemed to slow.

 _I'll kill them both myself if I have to._

Her resolve and anger felt like more than enough to help her complete the task at hand. Both men underestimated her- she was sure of that- and that fact alone led to her winning most of the fights she got in. _Most_.

"Alright blondie, time to say 'goodbye'." Katya's least favorite of the two chided as the door swung open. JJ was quick to move, grabbing the man's right arm before the door was fully open. She heard the man gasp as she twisted the limb violently around his back. Continuing to apply pressure, JJ almost grinned when she felt a _snap_ and heard the giant of man howl in pain. However, it didn't take long for him to recover. He swung wildly, striking JJ in the ribs and forcing her to let go. Turning to face her, the man's beet-red face turned into a fierce snarl. Dodging punch after punch, JJ found herself backed into one of the corners of the room. Knowing that this was a terrible position to be in against an enemy who clearly outmatched her in strength, the blonde aimed a blow to the man's temple, disorienting him long enough for her to duck underneath his massive arm and wind up behind him once more. Aiming a well placed kick to the back of his knee, JJ watched the giant crumple to the ground. Just as she was about to wrap her arms around his neck, he spun and landed another punch to her side. She stumbled, struggling to draw a breath as her ribs angrily protested. The momentary delay gave him enough time to remove a knife from his belt and tackle JJ to the ground. Frantic, JJ knew that his superior strength would be a deciding factor if they remained in this position. The man grinned, blood staining his teeth, as he fought to bring the knife to her. Running out of time and strength, JJ knew that she had no other choice. If she continued this power struggle, he would most certainly win and the knife would end up somewhere in her chest. However, if she decided where the knife went, all of his strength would be put into it and she would be able to- hopefully- land a finishing blow. Struggling to maneuver from underneath the heavy weight, JJ was eventually able to line the knife up with her shoulder. He thankfully hadn't noticed, all of his attention clearly focused on stabbing any part of her. With a grimace, JJ relinquished her hold on the man's arm and allowed the knife to go straight through her right shoulder. She couldn't help the scream that followed but forced herself to move despite the burning pain. Drawing one of her knees up quickly, she landed a blow to his groin, causing the brute to cry out and loosen his hold on her. As he did, JJ was quick to throw her head forward and connect it as hard as she could with his. Ignoring the splitting pain and the distinct sound of bone cracking, she felt the man's weight fall onto her completely. He remained unmoving as JJ struggled to get out from underneath him.

"Goodbye." She groaned. Shoving the unconscious man aside, the blonde brought herself to her knees, left hand trembling as it came up to inspect the damage. The knife was still embedded in her shoulder, blood seeping out at an alarming rate, but JJ knew it wasn't over yet. Putting as much pressure on the wound as she could muster, JJ looked up in search of Ava. The sight that greeted her made her heart stop in her chest. Katya's right-hand man had her partner pinned on the opposite wall, his hands wrapped tightly around her pale neck as he seemed to forget his boss' plans for her. Ava was clawing helplessly at his face and neck, legs kicking at his shins as she tried and failed to get him to let go.

"You'll never love her like I do." The man snarled at Ava who was clearly incapable of responding. JJ could barely hear his words as she struggled to stand, hand already wrapped around the hilt of her new weapon.

"Ava." JJ tried to shout but knew the attempt had failed. Panic flooded her as she watched Ava's eyes begin to roll into the back of her head.

 _He's killing her!_

The thought echoed in her mind and was the only thing compelling JJ to take the five steps forward that it took to be at his back. With a low groan, the blonde yanked the knife out of herself and didn't hesitate to plunge it directly into the man's neck. He was dead before he hit the ground. Ava fell to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut and was immediately gasping for air. JJ stepped over the henchman's body and dropped to her knees, rather ungracefully, beside her partner. When Ava saw the blood coming from JJ's shoulder, all concern for herself was cast aside.

"Shit, JJ." Her voice was raspy as she took in the blonde's amused expression.

"It's fine. It doesn't even hurt." The words weren't nearly as comforting as she had meant them to be as Ava quickly rose to her feet.

"We gotta go, JJ." She insisted, taking her partner's uninjured arm and pulling her to her feet. As Ava tried to hold her up, she could feel JJ already shaking her head.

"Can't." The blonde breathed, her blood continuing to pool on the floor beneath them and soak both of their clothes.

"No JJ, you have to stay awake. I can't carry you!" Ava cried, taking a cautionary step forward only to feel JJ begin to slip from her grasp. "JJ, no! Stay awake!"

"Stop her. Get help." The blonde instructed quickly, knowing that she only had a few moments of consciousness left.

"I can't." Ava sobbed, putting all of her strength into gently lowering JJ to the ground she seemed so eager to return to. "I can't stop her without you. I couldn't even take down that guy by myself. You saved me, JJ. You saved me."

"Still not even." JJ offered her a knowing but sad smile, tears streaming down the side of her face in spades. Ava wasn't entirely sure they were from the pain. The brunette shut her eyes tightly, looking up at the ceiling as if to ask for help. She knew no one would answer. It was up to her to finish this and, if she was honest with herself, Ava wasn't exactly sure she was up to the task. As she shoved the recent memories that plagued her away, Ava looked back her partner just in time to see her eyes begin to close.

"Damnit, Jennifer!" Ava yelled, her hands moving to apply pressure to the still-bleeding injury. "How am I supposed to stop her, get help, _and_ keep you from bleeding to death?!"

"It's quite simple actually." A familiar voice caused Ava's breath to hitch and her heart to jump. "You don't."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey all. So I've had these chapters ready for quite some time now and was just holding off in the hopes of getting some feedback on the previous ones. I've been lacking in motivation recently and your comments and reviews really do help so please keep them coming when you can! I hope you enjoy the update.**

 **Chapter 21**

The second he had seen Antonov take the marker from Emily's hand, Hotch was on the phone with their Section Chief. After convincing him that the information was as credible as it could be, it didn't take long to arrange for a helicopter to meet them on the roof of the building. The team was there in minutes, more than ready to get their friends back. Now, as they waited to be dropped them off in the frigid, January air of northeastern Maine, they could do nothing but worry. Emily watched each member of her old team closely, unsure as to how prepared they were for what they could find. On that note, she wasn't sure _she_ was entirely prepared for what they might find. Was she truly ready to storm into the cabin only to find JJ's body, cold and unmoving? Was she ready to explain that they had mailed oh-so-miserably to Will and their sons? The image flashed in her mind for the thousandth time since this all began and Emily was quick to shake it away. The motion, however, did not go unnoticed by one of the team. Hotch reached out and tentatively took Emily's hand into his. The sudden contact startled her but once she realized where it had come from, her heart immediately calmed. She hated just how easy it was for this man to affect her. She also hated how blind he seemed to be to her plight. It wasn't the first time she had felt her heart skip a beat or two when Aaron Hotchner said or did anything in her presence. She was sure it wouldn't be the last. Squeezing the warm hand back, Emily offered him the briefest of smiles. To her great surprise, it was reciprocated. Her shock must've been easy to read as the Unit Chief actually _blushed_ before returning his own hand back to his lap. His eyes, however, did not leave the ambassador's daughter until the voice of their pilot chimed in the BAU's headsets.

"I'll set you down about two miles away from the cabin." The man had to shout. "Border Patrol agents were closer than the nearest SWAT team so they'll meet you at the edge of the woods outside the target." Hotch and the man exchanged a brief conversation before finally, the doors could be opened and the BAU hopped out. It didn't take long for the group to cover the miles to the meeting point and by the time they got there, the CBP agents had arrived.

"Agent Hotchner?" A large, balding man approached and extended his arm out to Hotch who shook it firmly as he nodded. "Cooper Ringley. This is my team." The three men and one woman behind him nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank you for your help." Hotch spoke quickly, eager to get to JJ and Ava. "We've got two agents being held hostage somewhere in that cabin. A minimum of three hostiles, all of which should be considered extremely dangerous."

"What's the status of the agents?" Ringley asked bluntly only to be met with silence as the BAU exchanged glances. "Are they alive, Agent Hotchner?"

"Yes." Morgan's reply was swift. "We have reason to believe that one of them is their leader's endgame."

"And the second?" Ringley frowned, his team casting dubious glances as they wondered if they were about to risk their lives for a corpse.

"There's…there's a chance she might've already been killed." The words were bitter in Hotch's mouth but he understood why Ringley needed to know the details.

"We should expect more than three unsubs." Rossi wanted to move past Hotch's comment as quickly as possible. "This woman had a multitude of employees before she was arrested and no shortage of people willing to help her for a quick buck."

"That's why we brought this." One of Ringley's team, a man who made Morgan look like a dwarf, hoisted a large, automatic gun and slung it over his shoulder.

"A big gun is just a paperweight if you don't know how to use it properly." Emily couldn't help but mutter only to receive a mischievous grin from the man in question.

"Oh, I know how to use it. Trust me." The brunette rolled her eyes as he shot a wink in her direction. The only woman on their team was quick to land a slap on the back of his head.

"I take it this is a 'shoot first, don't bother to ask questions later' kind of situation?" Ringley ignored the two as he turned back to the BAU.

"Hell yes it is." Morgan was already checking his weapon, his eyes darkened with anger.

"Two teams." Hotch broke them up hurriedly. "The first will take up positions there and there." Hotch pointed towards the closest trees surrounding the cabin. "Draw them out, make sure you get their attention."

"And the second?" Emily asked, tightening her Kevlar against the chill.

"Me, you, and Rossi will sneak in while they're distracted, find Ava and JJ, and get them out." Hotch decided.

"I'm not playing paintball with these sons of bitches while you guys go get our girls." Morgan was adamant, his copious amount of anger directed straight at Hotch.

"You're a good shot and the strongest out of all of us." Hotch explained. "I need you outside, taking out as many of them as you can so Ava and JJ don't get hurt."

"Please, Morgan." Emily insisted. "We don't have time for this." She was right, of course, and that was the sole reason Morgan chose to bite his tongue.

"Hotch," Reid spoke up for the first time since they left D.C., "what do we do if-"

"No." Hotch interrupted. "They are both _fine_ , Reid…and if they're not we'll cross that bridge when we get there." With one last look at Emily, he turned to their temporary teammates and asked, "is everyone ready?"

"Let's do it, Captain America." The large man jeered with a grin, trying to lighten the mood for the BAU and failing miserably. As the three designated agents broke off from the rest, Emily couldn't help but peek at her old boss. His jaw was set, teeth grinding hard enough that she could almost hear them chipping, and the hold on his weapon was so tight, she was sure he would lose circulation in his fingers. As they ran, Hotch sensed her gaze on him and turned to meet it. Using the trees as cover, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way the moonlight illuminated her features whenever it shined on her. He knew that that should be the last thing on his mind as they raced to save two of their teammates but he simply couldn't help it. His worry for Emily's wellbeing, as well as her happiness, was more than what a superior normally felt for his agent. Every passing moment in her presence only showed him just how important she was to him as well as how much he'd missed her. Now she was back but only because Ava and JJ were in peril. She would undoubtedly be gone again soon. The thought cut him deeply as his overwhelming need to protect her kicked in just as they were approaching the cabin. The sound of gunfire and shouting had begun seconds before and the three agents could hear much more than three unsubs gathering their weapons to defend their boss. Hotch, Rossi, and Emily crouched down low beneath a slightly open window, waiting for the ample opportunity to climb in. Just as Emily was about to look inside, Hotch grabbed her arm, stopping her. She almost groaned out loud as his overprotectiveness reared its head and he looked inside instead. Without looking back, the Unit Chief motioned that it was clear before swiftly climbing inside. Emily could've sworn she saw a small grin appear on Rossi's lips. The three relished in the warmth the fireplace emanated throughout the cabin and made a quick sweep of the structure as silently as they could. Room by room, they searched for Ava and JJ, becoming more disheartened the longer it took to find them.

"There's no way Antonov tricked us." Rossi grumbled. "Is there?"

"No, they've got to be here." Emily insisted, unable to even consider the repercussions if Dima had indeed fooled them.

"Where's Volkov?" Hotch frowned, sure that the woman wouldn't want to be too far from her captives. "If she's not outside and she's not in here…"

"Then there has to be another room." Emily finished for him. "A room close enough so Katya can control everything but hidden enough to be away from harm."

"You mean a room like this?" Rossi's voice came from the living room where he had kicked back a bear skin rug to reveal a trapdoor. Wordlessly, Hotch reached down and turned the latch, thanking every deity known to man that it wasn't locked. Throwing back the door, all three agents pointed their guns down into the poorly lit area to reveal a staircase. Hotch descended first, followed by Emily, and Rossi who covered their backs. The hallway was narrow but allowed for two people to stand, shoulder to shoulder. Emily and Hotch exchanged quick glances as they took in the large, metal door at the end. Just as Hotch's hand wrapped around the handle of the heavy door, a single gunshot caused the three agents to jump.

 _"_ _It's quite simple actually. You don't."_

Ava's first instinct was to barrel straight into the woman who had caused so much misery and suffering. With the amount of rage and fear boiling so close to the surface, she was quite sure that she could take the blonde. However, Ava restrained herself as she saw the woman slowly remove a gun from the back of her jeans. As Katya pointed the gun at her, Ava's only move was to cover as much of JJ's prone body as she could with her own. Katya let out a small chuckle at the action.

"You disappoint me, Avalona." As always, her full name from the criminal's lips made Ava nauseous. Then again, so did everything else about her now. "I really thought you'd keep your word. I thought you'd actually _changed_ but it seems like you're still the stubborn, prideful, little bitch I met all those years ago."

"Your disappointment means as much to me as an ant means to a boot." Ava spat, completely unsure as to how she was going to get out of this. "What're you going to do? Shoot me? After all this, you're just going to put me down like a rabid dog?" Ava rose slowly, pointing at the back of her own head. "Want me to turn around so you can get a better shot?"

"You play with fire a lot for someone who's so afraid of getting burned." Katya narrowed her eyes at her, contemplating the consequences of killing the younger woman.

"You actually think I'm _afraid_ to die?" Ava surprised her with a laugh. "Death is only the beginning of the things I'm willing to suffer as opposed to letting you touch me again."

"That's quite bold for someone who was willing to do _much_ more than that a few hours ago." Katya grinned as she struck a chord, watching the brunette's jaw clench and unclench. "You can lie to yourself all you like, Ava. You and I know the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Ava ground her teeth as she asked, taking small steps closer to the woman in the hopes that she wouldn't notice.

"That you _enjoyed_ our time together. That given the opportunity, you would jump at the chance to feel my hands on you again." Ava squashed the urge to gag but she couldn't stop the handful of tears that fell down her cheek. Lowering her head to hide them, as well as break free from the woman's piercing gaze, she could barely hear Katya's full blown laugh as blood rushed passed her ears.

"There's no need to be ashamed, Ava." The woman taunted. "I told you that simply lying there like a victim wasn't going to cut it and you delivered…and delivered, and delivered." Ava had to bite her lip to keep a sob from escaping as the woman chuckled at the memory. "I wonder what she's going to tell the rest of your team- that is, if she survives the trip." Ava held her breath, having completely forgotten that JJ most likely knew what she had done. "Will they memorialize you as the hero who sacrificed everything to save their friend…or the whore whose last free act was fucking her enemy?" If asked about this moment months from now, Ava knew that she would be unable to recall what was running through her mind or exactly what transpired next. All she knew was that, in a flash of red hot fury, she somehow managed to slap Katya's gun out of her hand and tackle the woman to the ground. Shouting curses and blinking away tears, Ava used her anger as well as her desperation to rain blow after blow on Katya's face and body. Simply put, she snapped in almost every way possible. The blonde, more than surprised at the turn of events, got in quite a few hits of her own but Ava didn't seem to feel a thing. Punch after punch Katya withstood until finally, she was able to pull a knee up against Ava's chest and force her back. The brunette cried out, more in anger than in pain, as Katya scrambled in search of the gun. Just as her fingers wrapped around its grip, Ava was on her again and the two were rolling into the walls as they wrestled for control of it. Katya, her form not nearly as beaten or weakened as Ava's, managed to land on top and straddled the younger girl's chest as she used both hands to aim the gun. Ava grabbed the weapon from the top, turning her head away from the barrel just in case. Just then, something shiny caught her attention: the knife. Still embedded in the man's neck, the knife was the only other weapon in the room…and Katya didn't even know it was there. Ava placed her left hand around Katya's fingers in an attempt to keep her from reaching the trigger while her right went for the knife.

"Looks like you won't get to experience the pleasure of my company again after all." Katya growled, assuming that the brunette had given up when she saw her let go. Just as Ava stretched far enough to graze the bloodied hilt of the knife, the gun went off and a searing pain erupted in her shoulder. She screamed but used the distraction to yank the knife out of the man's neck. Just as she did, the door behind them swung open. Katya, expecting no one, turned her head just enough to see two strangers bursting in, guns pointed directly at her. Ava, however, couldn't see the newcomers and didn't hesitate in plunging the knife directly into Katya's gut. The woman let out a surprised gasp as she frowned at the sudden pain. The gun fell from her hands almost immediately as blood began to soak through her shirt and onto Ava's hands and chest. The snarl on Ava's lips seemed to dissipate as she realized what she had just done. Katya, eyes watering from either the pain or the knowledge that she had lost, used the last of her strength to reach out and stroke Ava's tear stained cheek. Frozen, the younger woman felt the body above her begin to go limp. She stared deep into dark eyes as whatever little light there was in them was snuffed out for good. Katya's body dropped heavily onto her and she let out a wail of pain, her entire body crying out as the adrenaline quickly began to fade.

"Ava!" Hotch's voice, surely a delusion, echoed in her mind as Katya's body was pushed off of her. The man himself appeared above her, taking in her multitude of injuries as well as the empty look in her once bright eyes.

"She's dead." Rossi announced as he stepped over Katya's body to check on JJ. Ava swallowed hard, using much more strength than she remembered needing to turn her head. Tears streaked down the side of her face as she watched Rossi and a dark-haired woman rush to JJ's side.

"Jay." Ava's voice was hoarse, her blood already pooling around her and Hotch. The Unit Chief, having located the most crucial wound, put all of his weight onto Ava's right shoulder. The brunette cried out, the adrenaline she had used to fight Katya now completely gone and leaving her to feel every last bruise.

"She's lost a lot of blood." The concern in the other woman's voice was clear and Ava squinted, sure that she should know who she is. Before she could get a better look however, Hotch called her name. The sound was distant, almost as if she was underwater, but she turned her head to face him regardless.

"It's going to be alright." He told her. "Volkov is never going to hurt anyone again." Hotch watched as more tears appeared in his agent's eyes and was sure his heart was breaking.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, her tears mingling with the multitude of blood staining the floor. "I didn't know. I swear I didn't know."

"Shh," Hotch cooed, "no one blames you, Ava. No one. It's all going to be alright. You just have to stay awake."

"I-I didn't want my past to-" she paused to take quick, short breaths, "to hurt this team. I'm s-sorry."

"This isn't your fault. It's hers." Hotch glared at Katya's body, somewhat disappointed that he wouldn't get to lock her a box and throw away the key himself. "Try not to speak."

"Y-You came." Ava couldn't help but smile briefly before the pain wiped it away.

"Of course we came, Ava." Hotch pressed down on her shoulder harder, wincing as she cried out again, this time not nearly as loud. "We're your family." The word caused a switch to go off in her, as if hearing it made her immune to the vast amount of pain she was in. Ava swallowed hard and looked up at him, eyes as clear and bright as the day they met.

"Hmm." She breathed, another smile etched on her lips. "Family." Hotch tried to press down even harder as he saw her eyes begin to roll to the back of her head. His shouts for her to remain awake went unheeded as Ava allowed her body to go limp and saw nothing but white.


	22. Chapter 22

A fairly long update for you all! Hope you enjoy it. Leave me some reviews if you feel so inclined!

 **Chapter 22**

She had watched a good amount of hospital-centered television in her lifetime. In some of them, they would depict what the patient was hearing and seeing while they were being brought in. It was always the same: bright lights, blurred objects, and far away voices that made you think you weren't really there. Before she had ever been in a situation like this, having no reason to doubt them, she'd accepted this as truth. The truth, however, was much more gruesome. What the shows don't show you is how heightened everything is- your hearing, your sight, _your pain_. Your body is on high alert, screaming at you that something has gone terribly wrong, and the only way it knows how to tell you is by hurting you. And unlike the romanticized version that you watch every Thursday night, the real thing is indescribably awful.

JJ knew she where she was. She knew exactly what was going on around her and who was with her. She could hear, see, and _feel_ everything- every pinch of a movement, every pull of an arm, every jab of a needle. She could feel herself being lifted from the ambulance gurney to one in the hospital. She could hear the sound of fabric tearing as nurses ripped what little of her clothes the EMTs had left on her. She could see the frightened faces of her team as they desperately tried to get a glimpse past the mass of doctors that surrounded her. She could also see another gurney which had made the trip right behind hers. While she couldn't see through the men and women in white, JJ knew who was on it.

 _Ava._

"She's right there, Agent Jareau, don't worry." A voice told her and JJ frowned, unaware that she had spoken out loud. "We're going to get both you and your partner back on your feet, ok?"

"Ava." Her voice was louder and filled with purpose now as she called out to the other woman. Receiving no response, JJ heaved a deep breath and went to rise. Several pairs of hands forced her back down but she continued to fight against them.

"You have to remain still, Agent Jareau." A new, male voice demanded. "We're going to help you and your friend but you have to-"

"Ava!" JJ's panic and fear gave her a burst of energy, shooting up in the gurney and straining for a look at her friend. While sitting upright caused JJ's multitude of wounds to scream in protest, it paled in comparison to the pain she felt when she saw her partner. Ava was unconscious, a tube already being forced down her throat as her blood continuously tinted the floor. JJ was so confounded by the sight that she failed to realize who had shoved past all the doctors and taken her arm.

"JJ." Emily called to her. "Jennifer, look at me." The older woman took her friend's face into her hands and turned it away from the grim sight beside her. When JJ realized who was touching her, a light seemed to go off. Her eyes, which were glazed over with anger and fear not a second ago, were now filled with tears at the sight of the brunette.

"Em-Emily?" she breathed, unable to understand why she was here. She knew it had something to do with Interpol but her mind simply couldn't make the connection.

"It's me. I'm here." Emily cooed. "Now please, lay back down. Let them help." Slowly, JJ began to nod, allowing her friend to ease her back down onto the gurney.

"She saved me, Em." JJ could feel the tears streaming down her face. "From-from more than just dying."

"I know, Jay." Emily had pieced together their situation long before they had been rescued. "It's all going to be ok though. You just have to let them help…please." As the doctors began rolling her away, Emily quickly swiped the tears from her friend's cheeks and, in seconds, the room was silent again.

"Emily?" Hotch's voice barely registered in her mind as Emily stood unmoving, staring down the hallway they had taken her best friend. It was only when his hand grazed the small of her back did she react. Jumping as if electrocuted, Emily swiftly wiped her own tears away as Hotch turned to face her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't. It's fine." Emily tried to reassure him. Risking a look up, she realized she had failed. Hotch seemed to be equally as worried for her as he was about JJ and Ava. The thought did more than confuse her- it captivated her.

"She's going to be fine, you know." He said softly. "They both are and it's because of you."

"Me?" Emily scoffed. "I barely did anything. I just-"

"Emily?" Hotch rarely, if ever, interrupted people. The action caused the woman to freeze. Letting out a small 'hm?', Emily noticed just how close the two were. Almost completely pressed together, Hotch's hands rested on her waist as hers did on his chest. Neither seemed to know when or how it had happened but the effect it was having was clear. Both eyes were wide, each desperately trying to find something to say as their hearts continued to pound merciless against their chests. Emily was sure that he could hear hers trying to escape. One word managed to fall from their lips as Hotch took her hands into his and rested his forehead against hers.

"Stay." It was a loaded word, one filled with equal parts request as it was question, but it made Emily's heart skip several beats. Her reaction alone gave her the answer she needed. Unable to form the word, she simply nodded, her gaze never leaving his as a glimmer flashed in his eyes. More tears fell from her eyes and Hotch gently used his thumb to wipe them away.

"I told you all we had to do was wait." Rossi's voice caused the dark-haired duo to spring apart only to turn and see that he, as well as Reid and Morgan, had witnessed most of their exchange. A furious shade of red crept onto both faces.

"I didn't even know you two _could_ blush." Morgan quipped as Rossi and Reid agreed.

"I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of the blushing couple, isn't that right?"

"Don't call us that." Both voices ordered simultaneously which only served to enhance their embarrassment as the other three withheld chuckles.

"I have to say," Reid frowned slightly, "I don't often pick up on social cues but even I see it…now."

"So you're coming back, right?" Morgan was quick to ask Emily. "Please tell me you're coming back. We could barely handle him the last time you left and it'll _definitely_ be worse now that you've swapped saliva or whatever was just happening." The brunette immediately let go of Hotch's hand to land a solid punch to Morgan's arm. The fact that she retook promptly after was not lost on anyone.

"You're a child." She chided him. "But yes, I'm staying…for good this time."

"Finally." Morgan breathed. "See Hotch, all you had to do was ask. The ladies can't refuse if they know what they'd be missing." Both Emily and Hotch turned to look at one another and, as if speaking telepathically, wound an arm back and punched one of Morgan's arms each.

"Will you ever learn when it's time to stop talking?" Rossi patted the larger man's back affectionately, smiling at the two. His grin, however, was quickly wiped away as he saw who was entering the ER.

"What a glutton for punishment this one is." Emily shook her head as they watched Kate scramble to find someone to speak to. She froze the moment she caught sight of the BAU.

"She's got some balls." Morgan's tone darkened as he took a step towards the woman only to be stopped by a hand to the shoulder.

"Down, boy." Emily raised an eyebrow at him, not wanting to cause a scene in the middle of a hospital. "I'll talk to her."

"She has no right to know anything that's happened, let alone how Ava's doing." Morgan called after her, definitely loud enough for Kate to hear. Emily turned on him immediately.

"She made mistakes- awful, irreversible mistakes- that will haunt her for the rest of her life." Emily huffed. "But she's clearly still in love and came here, even knowing that Ava won't take her back."

"And rightfully so." Morgan crossed his large arms, challenging his friend.

"I'm not disagreeing with you, Derek." Emily sighed. "All I'm saying is that, even if we knew anything about Ava's condition, there's no need to be cruel. She's already in hell."

"Yea well, I'd gladly send her to the real thing." Derek narrowed his gaze at the woman but fell back to sit with the rest of the team at least fifty feet away.

"Ms. McGrath," Emily watched as the blonde toyed with the engagement ring on her finger, "how did you know to come here?"

"It's all over the news…and I'm still her emergency contact." Kate swallowed hard. "Ho-How is she?"

"We only got here ten minutes before you did." Emily explained. "We don't know anything just yet."

"But you saw her?" The woman was already in tears as Emily nodded once. "What happened to her? Please, tell me."

"I'm sorry but I can't." Emily's response caused a single sob to escape the woman's lips. Kate cradled her own head, nails digging into the skin of her scalp, as she tried to compose herself.

"Why not?" she cried. "I'm her fiancée."

" _Ex-_ fiancée." Emily reminded her cautiously. "I don't think you need reminding as to why that is so please, don't make a scene."

"You can keep information from me but you can't make me leave." Kate's voice hardened. "I _will_ find out what's happened and I _will_ see her." Emily's nostrils flared, her patience with the adulterer wearing thin. The blonde sensed the change in mood and took a small step back as the older woman rounded on her.

"You will see her if she _wants_ to see you and I think you and I both know the chances of that so why don't you do us all a favor and _go home_?" The question caused Kate to frown, stumbling backwards a little as if she had been struck. Instead of leaving, however, the woman simply sat back down and crossed her legs, showing no indication of leaving soon. "Fine. Stay. But I'm warning you, if you go within ten feet of her without her _explicit_ permission, there are at least fifteen objects in this room that I could use to hurt you."

"Have you even _met_ Ava?" Kate was taken aback at Emily's apparent anger towards her. The brunette almost laughed.

"No, I haven't. I guess you can say that I'm just not a fan of abusive and unfaithful partners. Ava saved my best friend's life at a cost _no one_ should have to pay." Emily brought her face closer to the woman's. "So I don't need to meet her to know that she deserves _worlds_ better than trash like you." Kate's face went from olive to red in milliseconds and Emily waited- no- hoped that she would lash out. She almost wanted to thank the woman as she stood and wound back a hand, preparing to slap Emily across the face. She was slow and predictable and Emily caught the wrist before it came even came close to her. However, this was an opportunity she wouldn't want to miss so, for the sake of solidarity, Emily threw back a fist and punched Katherine McGrath square in the nose. The woman went down hard, missing the seat and falling onto the floor as the men of the BAU approached. Cradling her face, they could already see the blood pouring out from in between her fingers. Morgan couldn't help but high-five Emily as the brunette shot Kate an innocent smile.

"You might want to get some ice for that." Rossi suggested coyly as they turned to leave.

"I think I'm in love with you." Morgan jeered, dropping his arm across Emily's shoulders. She shrugged him off with a chuckle, casting a glance to her right at Hotch who sported a similar expression of awe.

"You'll move on." Their boss quipped, wrapping his arm around Emily's waist and pulling her closer. Emily was too busy blushing to take in the three equally shocked faces around her.

Hours passed with no word on either JJ or Ava. The BAU, as well as its unwanted addition, grew restless and anxious, springing to their feet every time the same nurse would walk by. The woman pitied them, apologizing with each pass and ensuring them that they would be the first to know if anything changed. While it wasn't uncommon given the women's injuries, the simple thought that they were undergoing surgery was enough to rile even the most steadfast of their group. Emily, in particular, had a difficult time sitting still for more than several minutes at a time. She had spent the past four hours pacing a trench into the hospital's waiting room floor. Only when Hotch stood in front of her and took her hand did she somewhat settle.

"I'm going to see about getting us a room for tonight at least." Hotch told them after a while. "I know none of us feel comfortable leaving them here."

"Better make it more than one night then." Rossi said. "I don't think they're going to be in the condition to be transferred anytime soon." Hotch grudgingly agreed as he stood to make the call, giving Emily's hand a hard squeeze before he let go.

"They're going to be alright, right?" Emily couldn't help but ask, her eyes turning to Reid. The second youngest of their team seemed taken aback, not accustomed to being asked for hard truths. It was why he had been so silent, knowing that he tended to make people feel worse in situations like these.

"You-You said JJ had a stab wound?" Emily nodded. "And what else?"

"There were, uhm," Emily forced herself to recall the drive in the ambulance with the blonde, "a lot of bruises on her chest. She was ice cold and her hair was wet. We saw a barrel of ice water so we assumed they…"

"There's a good chance she's contracted some type of pneumonia. But don't worry, that's relatively simple when treated in a timely manner." Reid was quick to add. "Any damage to her ribs will make it more painful but you said she didn't have a punctured lung, right?" Emily nodded. "That's good. That's really good." Emily offered him a brief grin before he turned to Hotch who had just returned from his phone call. "What did the EMTs tell you about Ava?"

"Not much." He admitted. "The bullet went straight through but they believed it nicked an artery which is why…why there was so much blood." Hotch had spent the first hour and a half trying to wash Ava's blood off of his hands and shirt. "She'd been beaten. More than once, they assumed. Other than that, it was impossible to tell without scans."

"Right." Reid nodded. "I doubt they'll be comfortable for a while but…but they should be fine."

" _Should be_." Morgan repeated, drawing all of their attention. "How can-"

"Agent Hotchner?" One of the trauma nurses who had been there when they had arrived called to him from behind the desk. All five BAU members as well as McGrath looked up immediately. "It's about what we discussed before."

"It's not an update. I'll be right back." Hotch told his team, knowing that this wasn't something that needed to be shared. "Yes?"

"The test you asked me to run…the rape kits?" The woman waited for him to nod his acknowledgement before continuing. "I have the results. One of them was negative. The other was…inconclusive."

"How can a rape kit be inconclusive?" Hotch frowned, keeping his voice low so that no one could hear.

"As you know, rape kits examine for nonconsensual intercourse." The woman explained. "But, obviously, consensual intercourse would also be detectable for a period of up to a week."

"They were in that basement for almost three weeks. It's safe to assume there was no consensual sex during that time." Hotch crossed his arms, unsure as to where the conversation was headed.

"Yes, given the circumstances it would be quite…odd." The woman agreed. "Which is why the inconclusive result is concerning."

"Who is it?" Hotch asked, already knowing the answer to his own question. "Please, I need to know."

"Agent Jareau's test came back negative." Hotch felt little relief at the news.

"What does this mean?"

"If there was an assault," Hotch could see the woman choosing her words carefully, "then it was either extremely brief or extremely…gentle."

"' _If_ there was an assault'?" Hotch repeated.

"Like I said, the test was inconclusive. The only reason that could be is because, well…they found evidence of intercourse but couldn't classify it as 'nonconsensual'."

"You're telling me that Agent Thorne _willingly_ slept with one of her captors?" Hotch was completely prepared for this conversation to take a much different turn. No one would have been surprised if one or both of the agents had been assaulted. As much as he hated to admit it, the fact that JJ had escaped that fate was nothing short of a miracle. She wasn't Volkov's main target and could've easily been used as a consolation prize for the men Volkov had hired. Yet, even though there were almost a dozen men in her employ, not one of them had touched her.

"I'm saying that we don't know what happened." The nurse stated plainly. "Honestly, the only way you can really find out is by asking them."

"That's not exactly an option at the moment." Hotch told her absentmindedly.

"I know this isn't exactly my area of expertise but," the nurse thought for a moment, "wasn't the mastermind behind their kidnapping a woman?"

"Yes." Hotch frowned at the mention, unaware of what it had to do with the issue at hand.

"That could _possibly_ explain the result." She suggested. "If Agent Thorne and this woman-" Hotch stopped listening to the nurse's technical evaluation as he thought. Was that why Volkov took Ava? Not for revenge or to make a point but because she was _in love_ with her? _That's_ why Volkov was releasing JJ. _That's_ why she made Ava record that message. She had no intention of ever letting Ava go. She was going to keep her like a prized doll, taking her off the mantle only to- the thought made him visibly cringe. JJ had told Emily as much when they had brought her in.

 _She saved me from worse than dying._

The pieces of the puzzle had begun to form an image, leaving Hotch wishing that he had never opened the box to begin with.

"Thank you for your help." He stopped the woman who had, apparently, not finished talking. "Please let me know if anything new comes up." Taking up his seat beside Emily once again, Hotch was quick to take the woman's hand into his. The sudden nature of the action caused her to frown, tilting her head as if to ask _what happened_? As the two stared at one another, Hotch could see that what he had just learned, Emily had already figured out. Maybe it was her years of experience with people like Volkov. Maybe it was the fact that she had been in a similar situation with Doyle. Regardless, the reason didn't matter. All that mattered is that they knew a secret Ava, and most likely JJ, would not want them to know. The knowledge made them uneasy but it helped knowing that they could, at the very least, confide in one another.

"Guys." Morgan stood suddenly and the four turned to see two figures in white making a b-line towards them.

"Agents." The taller of the two acknowledged them. "My name is Dr. Howe. I'm the lead surgeon on Agent Jareau's case." The man slowly raised a hand as the BAU bombarded him with questions. "I know you have a lot of questions but let me start by saying that we don't have all the answers just yet."

"What does that mean?" Rossi prodded.

"Our primary concern was the stab wound on her right shoulder." Howe explained. "She had lost a lot of blood and there was a risk of nerve damage as well. We patched it up but we'll see how it feels when she wakes up. She's also contracted bacterial pneumonia. In addition to that, she has seven broken ribs as well as a concussion, a fractured collarbone, and deep lacerations on her wrists that will most likely scar. The current concern is how the pneumonia treatment will take given her drastically weakened immune system and the physical damage to her ribcage. We've sedated her to keep her comfortable and have her connected to a breathing tube to make sure she's getting enough oxygen."

"Can we see her?" Emily's voice was small, still taking in all the information.

"She won't be awake for quite some time," Howe reminded them, "but yes. Just prepare for her to look…different than you're used to."

"And Ava?" Reid turned to the second man who was, in all likelihood, her primary surgeon.

"Agent Thorne is still in surgery." The man, his nametag read 'Marlow', told them. "The bullet came a little bit too close to her neck for comfort. Had it been on the other side or an inch more to the left, I doubt she would've survived the trip in. However, her vitals have been holding strong and we've set aside blood for her just in case."

"Other than the bullet wound?" Hotch asked the man. He referred back to his notes briefly.

"I really hope you stopped whoever had them." Marlow sighed. "She's got a concussion, five broken ribs, a slightly lacerated kidney, and, like Agent Jareau, gashes on both wrists. We stitched up her kidney but other than that, there's not much we can do for the rest aside from make her comfortable."

"How much longer is the surgery going to last?" Reid wanted to know. Marlow made a 'so-so' motion with his hand.

"Hard to tell. Maybe another three to four hours, if all goes well." He checked his watch. "I'll be back when it's over."

"Thank you." Hotch called after him as he rushed back down the hallway and around a corner.

"Agent Jareau is in room 113. If you need me, I'll be back in a few hours." Howe offered the group a smile as they thanked him as well. A minute later he was gone, undoubtedly going in search for the nearest bed.

"You go." Morgan nudged Emily's shoulder, knowing that she would probably lose her mind if she didn't see her friend soon. "Tell her we say 'hi'." Emily breathed a chuckle as the other three nodded.

"I'll be back soon." She promised, knowing that they wanted to see her too. Room 113 was around the corner and four doors down. Emily knew because she had walked the entirety of the hospital multiple times in the past five hours. Standing outside the door, she paused. _Prepare for her to look different than you're used to_. How, exactly, does one prepare for that?

"You don't." Emily told herself, turning the knob and entering the dimly lit room. The sight that greeted her made her step falter. Swallowing hard, she bit her lip as she approached the bed. JJ looked like a child, surrounded by white sheets that gave her the appearance of a ghost. Her skin was almost yellow and the only sounds in the room were of the machines that helped her breath and monitored her heartrate. Slowly, Emily pulled up a chair and sat at her friend's side.

"God, Jennifer." She whispered as if afraid to wake the younger woman. "Why is it that every time I leave, you wind up in one of these rooms? If you wanted me to stay, all you had to do was ask." The joke was lost on the empty room but Emily couldn't help the tears that began to fall. Reaching out, she took JJ's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Jay." She stroked her thumb over JJ's. "You didn't give up. You kept fighting even when there was no hope and you _won_. You kicked some serious ass in there and now I need you to wake up so you can tell me all about it." Emily waited as if anticipating a response. "That's ok. You rest. I'll wait here." Rest.

 _When was the last time you got any of that, Prentiss?_ As she asked herself, Emily could already feel her eyes beginning to close. They had found them. They were safe. Volkov was gone. Everything else after that was amendable. With the weight of the world seemingly lifted from her shoulders, Emily Prentiss fell into a deep, much needed sleep, her hand still holding onto her best friend's.


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the wait everyone. It's been a pretty shitty/stressful year so far. Stick with me- the surprises aren't over yet! Leave a review to make me smile :)**

 **Chapter 23**

JJ knew that she was waking up before her body did. While her eyes were still closed, she could hear the seemingly much-too-loud conversation between what sounded like people she knew. Unable and unwilling to move just yet, JJ waited until her body caught up with her brain. Seconds later, she felt herself begin to frown but the incessant noise persisted. Cracking her dried lips just enough, she managed to groan,

"Trying to sleep here." Although she wasn't sure if it was coherent, the phrase succeeded in alerting her friends that she was awake. Both figures jumped and immediately rushed to her side. Even with her eyes still closed, JJ had no trouble making out one as Emily and the other as Derek.

"Finally, Sunshine." Derek expelled a breath. "We were thinking you were gonna go all 'Sleeping Beauty' on us. _Ow_." JJ could only assume that Emily had punched him and a thin smile made its way onto her lips.

"Open your eyes, JJ." Emily prompted her. "It's not that bright in here, I promise."

"Don't want to." The blonde frowned but continued to try to crack them open. Eventually, she managed and made out the blurry outlines of her friends.

"Welcome back to the world of consciousness." Morgan grinned down at her as she blinked fast. JJ turned her head, testing her range of motion one limb at a time. She regretted the movements as soon as her ribs protested. Hissing in pain, she felt Emily take her left hand and only then did she notice that her right had been confined to a sling. Frowning, she squeezed her friend's hand briefly before letting go, hand pushing the thin material of the hospital gown aside to examine the wound she could barely remember getting.

"Ava?" The thought struck her almost violently, her head whipping around to Emily for the answer. The brunette shifted uncomfortably before responding.

"She's alive." Was the first thing she told her. JJ raised an eyebrow, urging her to continue. "She hasn't woken up from surgery yet."

"Oh." JJ seemed almost relieved. The lack of relief on her teammate's faces, however, clued her in that something wasn't right. "How long have we been here?"

"It's been uh," Emily thought, "about four days."

"Four _days_?!" JJ cried, ignoring the pain in her chest as she tried to sit upright. "I've been asleep for four days?"

"JJ, you went through a lot." Derek tried to comfort her. "After your surgery, they told us it would most likely be a while before you would wake yourself up."

"Well what happened with Volkov? Did you catch her? And what about the men that were down there? Where even _are_ we? How did you-"

"Easy, easy." Emily glanced at JJ's heart monitor as it beeped erratically. "We'll answer all your questions. Just lay back down." The older woman pulled the covers up around JJ as soon as she was settled. "For starters, Volkov is dead. Ava killed her."

"Ava?" JJ struggled with the idea that Ava had to go that far to protect her. As far as she knew, the younger agent had never killed before.

"Yes." Emily nodded slowly. "One of the guys was dead when we got there, the other is in the ICU. We're in Maine and we found you because the brother of the dead guy helped us out."

"Not like he had much of a choice." Morgan added with a scoff. "Bottom line is you and Ava are safe."

"Safe." JJ repeated the word, seemingly unconvinced. "But what's wrong with Ava?"

"She lost a lot of blood on the way in." Emily explained. "Coupled with all the other trauma, they had no choice but to put her in a medically-induced coma."

"A coma?" JJ's voice was low, almost frightened. "I have to see her."

"I really don't think that's a good idea, JJ." Emily winced.

"I realize that I probably don't look like a beauty queen right now but I don't care." JJ threw the covers off of herself and slowly, tried to swing her legs to the side of the bed. The moment she did, her only available hand was pressed firmly against her ribs, her mouth open in a silent scream.

"JJ, that's not it." Emily insisted as she watched her friend try to regain her composure. "Ava doesn't exactly…look like herself right now."

"Emily, _I_ don't exactly look like myself right now." JJ pressed. "I don't care what she looks like. I _have_ to see her. Please." The two stared each other down, neither willing to relent so easily. However, as soon as tears began to appear in the blonde's eyes, Emily knew she had lost.

"Morgan," the older woman sighed, "can you go find a wheelchair please?"

"You can't be-" One look from Emily silenced his argument and sent him on his way. The two women waited in silence, JJ steeling herself for the movements she'd have to make to get into the chair.

"I'm really glad you're here." She found herself saying and Emily's face immediately brightened.

"I'm glad I'm here too." Emily admitted. "Can you just…do me a favor?" JJ nodded adamantly. "Next time you want to see me, just call." JJ couldn't help the laugh that erupted from her chest or the vicious cough that followed immediately after.

"Where's the fun in that?" JJ wheezed, seeing Emily shake her head. Before Morgan could return, another member of the BAU made an appearance.

"Emily, they didn't have blueberry so I got you-" Hotch froze in his tracks once he saw JJ sitting upright and halfway off the bed. "JJ, you're awake."

"Very observant of you, Hotch." The blonde joked, watching the man put down the bag and coffee he had brought so he could hug her.

"How are you feeling?" His concern made her smile but her eyes caught the slightest change in Emily's posture and demeanor as soon as he approached.

"I'll be fine." She told him, a grin appearing on her lips as she saw Hotch hand Emily her coffee. Their fingers grazed and neither one seemed to mind. It was certainly a deviation from their previous "accidental" touches.

"Why does it look like you're getting ready to go for an afternoon stroll?" Her boss raised an eyebrow in her direction. JJ immediately deflected.

"Emily said I could go see Ava." The brunette in question frowned immediately, turning to meet Hotch's gaze as he rounded on her.

"You know they said that's not a good idea." He reminded her.

"I know Aaron, but what am I supposed to do, knock her out?" Emily defended herself. "You know how stubb-"

"Ok, what is going on?" JJ interrupted, lifting her one available hand in the air. "Either my concussion is much more severe than you're letting on or you just called him 'Aaron'…and you called her 'Emily'."

"You know those _are_ our names, right?" Emily jeered, jokingly pressing the back of her hand against JJ's forehead. "Your fever must be worse than they thought." JJ swatted the hand away as gently as she could without hurting herself.

"Very funny." She narrowed her gaze at the two. Wordlessly, Hotch placed an arm around Emily's shoulders, hoping that that would be explanation enough. "Are you two…Did he…finally!" All of JJ's questions seemed to answer themselves as she put everything together. The ferocious blush that overcame both cheeks only made the blonde smiler wider.

"I see you've been updated on the latest in BAU gossip." Morgan announced his return, wheelchair in tow. "JJ, I'd like to introduce you to our Dynamic Deadly Duo."

"Don't call us that." The two responded immediately, shaking their heads at themselves.

"You know Garcia's going to want a list of appropriate nicknames so you might as well accept it." He informed them, rolling the wheelchair as close to JJ as possible. "Your chariot awaits."

"This'll be fun." JJ groaned as she prepared to stand. Emily and Hotch were by her sides immediately, helping her stand as slowly as possible. The look of pain etched on her face made the three cringe, unsure as to whether this would be worth it in the end. As soon as JJ was semi-upright, her breath hitched and her hold on Emily's hand tightened exponentially. No one said anything as they eased her into the wheelchair and waited for her to regain her composure. Emily placed a blanket she had brought from the hotel across JJ's lap and offered her an uneasy look.

"Are you sure you want to do this, JJ?" She asked again. "It'll just upset you."

"Em," JJ sighed, "if it wasn't for Ava, I'd be dead…or worse. I owe it to her to make sure she's well taken care of until she wakes up."

"I know but…" Emily felt Hotch's hand squeeze hers and stopped, knowing that nothing they could say could get the blonde to change her mind. Morgan began wheeling her towards Ava's room only to pass a very taken aback Dr. Howe.

"A-Agent Jareau?!" He cried, hurrying after the group. "What are you doing up? When did you even _wake_ up?"

"About ten minutes ago." JJ extended her hand to the confused doctor. He took it slowly. "Thanks for saving my life. I'll be back in a little."

"Wait, what?" Howe called after her, watching Emily shoot him a shrug before the group of four disappeared around a corner. "Ugh, law enforcement." He shook his head and went back to his rounds.

"I'll come with you." Emily took over JJ's chair as she saw the looks of apprehension on Morgan and Hotch's faces. They had all been to see Ava when she first got out of surgery. While JJ was covered in just as many cuts and bruises, it was difficult for the team to look at Ava and not feel pity. For that reason alone, they refrained from visiting. They knew nothing would piss Ava off more than her entire team feeling sorry for her. Emily, on the other hand, visited the younger agent quite often. She didn't want her to wake up alone and, seeing as she didn't know her before the kidnapping, had no basis of comparison in regards to how she looked. Emily also felt a subtle connection to the younger woman. After all, she knew what it was like to literally sleep with the enemy. While the circumstances were not entirely similar, she felt for the woman. Emily could almost feel JJ's anxiety rise as she reached out and turned the knob. The room was dark, as always, and Emily slowly rolled her friend inside. JJ's gasp was audible as she took in the sight. The twenty-five-year-old was almost completely enveloped by surrounding machines and wires. Her skin had lost all hints of her presumably permanent tan. In its place were blacks, blues, and greens that JJ was sure should only be seen in a rainbow or a child's drawing. A deep blue handprint was visible around the woman's neck as well as on her upper arms. Various cuts adorned her once unmarred face and JJ found herself questioning if Ava was even underneath. The brunette's right arm was wrapped in a similar fashion as hers was and JJ wondered what had caused the injury. Emily remained silent behind her, waiting for her to take it all in before speaking.

"Volkov shot her." She explained. "She also has a lacerated kidney and a whole slew of broken ribs, just like you." JJ swallowed hard.

"How'd she kill her?" The question was low, almost a whisper.

"She stabbed her." Emily replied. "It was right as we were coming in. Volkov turned, giving Ava the opening. She didn't know it was us coming to help."

"Volkov deserved much worse." JJ's voice deepened, her hatred for the woman clear as day. "I only wish I was awake to see it."

"JJ," Emily pulled the brakes on the wheelchair as she went to sit next to her friend, "we know about…about what Volkov did." The blonde didn't move, unsure as to how she should react. What would Ava want? _She'd want to not be raped by a sociopath._ The thought invaded her mind without her permission, making JJ's breath catch in her throat.

"Whatever she did," JJ cleared her throat, "she did to protect me." The words caused a rush of guilt to flood into her as she realized exactly what they meant.

"No one's questioning that, JJ." Emily promised. "I just…I just figured you should know." Slowly, she saw her friend reach out and take Ava's free hand. JJ brought the hand to her face and held it there, her tears already falling onto the sheets.

"She let that…that _thing_ do God knows what to her," JJ cried, "for _me_." Emily's heart broke as she watched JJ, once collected and full of light, sob uncontrollably.

"JJ, she made a choice." Emily pressed. "It was her decision to make. Not yours. Don't go blaming yourself for something that happened when you weren't even conscious." JJ tried to speak, to rebut what Emily was saying, but nothing intelligible could come out. All she could do was cry. Emily gave up trying to talk to her, choosing simply sit by her side and place a comforting hand on her knee. It didn't take long for JJ to exhaust herself. All the crying had most certainly caused a great deal of pain and before long, Emily had to draw the line.

"No," JJ demanded as soon as she saw Emily stand, "no, I'm not ready."

"JJ, you have to rest." Emily practically begged. "You can come back and see her when you-"

"No." The blonde said forcefully. "What if she wakes up and no one's here? How would you have liked it if I'd let you wake up alone in Boston?" Emily's step faltered, her heart skipping several beats at the mention. "I can't leave, Emily. The last time we weren't in the same room, it was when…I just can't."

"Alright." Emily relented again, making a quick exit in search of a nurse who could have JJ's bed moved into Ava's room. The moment she stepped out without JJ in tow, the men of the BAU rounded on her, bombarding her with questions. Emily raised a hand slowly, motioning for them to stop. They did and after a moment of silence, Hotch approached her.

"Is she alright?" The Unit Chief asked, concern etched on his face. Emily nodded once. "Are _you_ alright?" The second question was asked in a much softer voice.

"Just tired I suppose." Emily sighed. She'd tell him the truth when there weren't so many eyes on her. "We need to speak to someone about transferring Ava."

"Are we sure she's able to travel that far?" Rossi asked. They all knew that Ava would much rather wake up in D.C than in some strange place but her well-being took precedent.

"That's what we need to find out." Emily said, already off in search of Ava's primary doctor with Hotch half a step behind her.

"What are we going to do about our unwanted guest?" Morgan asked the others. Rossi and Reid exchanged glances before the eldest of the two responded.

"Nothing. We ignore her. It's more than she deserves anyway." The Italian shrugged.

"I doubt Ava would want her ex-fiancée to be the first thing she saw when she woke up anyway." Reid added.

"I still think we should arrest her." Morgan pouted as the three began to follow Emily and Hotch. His teammates shared a grin at the thought.

"Ava can handle her better than our justice system can." Rossi assured them. "Besides, it's not like she can do any more damage now." Reid nodded his agreement but Morgan remained skeptical. While he knew the others didn't like her presence just as much as he did, his gut was telling him not to let Katherine McGrath out of his sight. He was sure that before all this was over, she would find a way to screw his friend over once more. After everything Ava had done for the team, Morgan would be damned if she was hurt again on his watch.


	24. Chapter 24

**Wow, I am so sorry for being the shittiest upload-er ever. I was away for 2 months without a laptop and just generally suck at life :) I hope you enjoy the update and I can pretty much guarantee a much shorter waiting period for the next one!**

 **Chapter 24**

 _Some time later_

"The spongy old boards of the porch bow and weep beneath Lila's shoes. A powerful spring breeze shakes the field of oxtail that used to be her own front yard, and the noise is a beautiful roar." JJ read softly. It had been three months since Ava was transferred to St. Francis', the leading hospital in the D.C metro area. This place had treated countless federal agents before, as well as several presidents and First Ladies. The only reason Ava was able to be moved there in the first place was because Emily pulled some strings and called in no small amount of favors. Now, as JJ read her copy of Stephen King's _Sleeping Beauties_ to her friend, she couldn't help but wonder if it had been worth the effort. She had been visiting Ava every day since her transfer and continued to see no signs of change. The doctors assured her that this was normal- that comatose victims rarely show signs until seconds before they awaken- but it was disheartening nonetheless. The rest of the team visited often as well. Unfortunately, so did Ava's ex-fiancée. Katherine McGrath was nothing if not persistent but still, the BAU refused to leave the woman alone with their friend. She never stayed long- just long enough to say that she had visited and go on with her day. _Small blessings_ , JJ couldn't help but think. Opening and closing the book in her lap, JJ shook her head at the irony of the title.

"Come on now, Sleeping Beauty," she told the brunette affectionately, "haven't you slept enough?" The only response came from the machines that seemed to have become a part of Ava since their rescue. A lot had happened in the three months since their return. JJ's wounds had mostly healed. She now only occasionally winced as a sudden movement tugged at her ribs. Strauss and the other higher-ups had all but demanded an audience with her, ordering her to describe, in detail, what had happened. One of them even had the audacity to say that Volkov's death was "regrettable" since she had been "such a valuable asset". JJ had never been more furious, her face turning an angry shade of red within seconds. The man regretted voicing his opinion soon after. While she remained at work, Hotch hadn't allowed her in the field until this past week. She knew she wasn't, necessarily, physically ready but her mind begged for something to do. There were only so many papers she could look at before becoming cross-eyed. As for Ava, she remained fairly unchanged. While she had lost weight, partially due to their incarceration, she no longer looked the part of starving vampire. Instead, some color had managed to return to her cheeks and the bruises had, thankfully, healed. JJ couldn't bear to look at them for long, her therapy sessions doing little to ease her guilt.

"Hey." Emily's smooth voice drew her out of her thoughts. JJ turned and acknowledged the woman with a simple nod. "Go home, JJ. It's late."

"I can stay a little longer." The blonde mumbled, knowing full well that she was exhausted and would end up spending the night if she remained any longer.

"Go tuck your son in." Emily took her by the shoulders and lifted her out of the chair. "I won't let her run away when she wakes up."

" _If_ she wakes up." JJ corrected under her breath. It was no secret that the former media liaison was slowly but surely giving up hope. Emily would, as usual, have none of it.

"You're tired." She excused her as she led the blonde to the door. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Whatever you say, Em." JJ relented as she always did.

"That's right." Emily gave her friend a comical pat on the backside. "Off you go."

"Night." JJ's voice was flat, carrying no emotion, let alone amusement at Emily's attempt to make her grin. Sighing to herself, Emily watched JJ shuffle towards the exit. Her concern for her friend was obvious, as was the entire team's and Will's. She wasn't sure JJ would be able to handle Ava not waking up. Plopping down on the seat JJ had recently occupied, she picked up the King book and looked it over.

"Another horror book, huh?" She asked Ava. "I don't know how she reads this stuff with everything we see. You know, if you woke up, you'd be able to read whatever you wanted. Maybe some Brontë or Dickins?" Emily paused as if expected a response. "Well, either way, you wouldn't be subjected to this anymore. Just saying."

A handful of hours passed as Emily talked to the younger woman about her day, the case they were working on, and whatever else she could think of. Before long, she realized that her eyes were beginning to close of their own volition. As she debated whether or not to spend the night again, something new happened. Ava took a deep, unobstructed breath. Emily froze as she heard a sigh pass the woman's lips shortly after. To her knowledge, Ava hadn't been breathing on her own. She had most certainly never made a sound before. Standing abruptly, Emily knocked the chair she was in over as she called for a nurse.

"What is it?" A short, dark-skinned woman burst in, fully aware of Ava's situation.

"She," Emily paused to find the words, "she made a sound. And she took a deep breath all on her own." As Emily explained, the woman looked Ava over.

"She spoke?" The nurse asked without looking at Emily.

"Uh, no. She kind of sighed."

"Sighed?" Emily chose to ignore the skeptical look on the woman's face. "Agent Prentiss, it's not entirely unheard of for someone in a coma to move or sometimes even speak, let alone sigh. I'm sorry but it doesn't seem like she's-"

"Is _that_ normal too, then?" Emily gestured towards the unconscious woman. Ava, fists clenched in the sheets, was frowning. Her breathing continued to accelerate as if she was running a marathon and before long, her eyes began to dance behind closed lids. Without a word, the nurse bolted out in search for the on-call doctor on their floor. Emily slowly approached the bed, wary of frightening its occupant, and took her hand.

"Come on, Ava." She begged. "You can do it. Everything's alright now. You're safe. All you have to do is open your eyes." Before she knew it, Emily was being pulled backwards and out of the way.

"Please, give us some room." A man in a white coat said gently. Emily stepped backwards immediately, her gaze focused on a now gasping Ava. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she fumbled for the phone in her back pocket. Although it was late, somewhere between four and five in the morning, she knew who to call first. JJ answered on the second ring, not an ounce of sleep in her voice, and was out of the house before the fifteen second mark of their phone call. One by one, Emily informed the BAU as she watched doctors and nurses crowd around Ava's bed. Standing on her toes, she tried to get a better look and see what they were doing. Easing closer to them, Emily's heart caught in her throat as she heard the woman speak for the first time.

"Ava." She answered the question she had been asked with a voice barely her own. "Ava Thorne."

"And do you know what year it is, Agent Thorne?" The man asked softly as he shined a light into her eyes. Ava retracted immediately.

"2018?" There was apprehension and fear in her voice. When the doctor confirmed, Ava visibly relaxed. "I need to see my team. Where are they?"

"Where they always are-" the man told her with a grin, "here. You've hardly been alone since you were transferred here." Emily slowly made her way past the sea of scrubs until she stood directly in front of Ava's bed. The woman frowned slightly, surely not expecting one of the CIA's most famous agents to be the first person she saw.

"Ava," Emily broke into a grin, "my name is-"

"Emily Prentiss." The younger agent nodded slowly, clearing her throat. "Everyone knows who you are."

"Right well," Emily waited for the room to clear before approaching, "I helped the BAU find you. I called them. They're all on their way."

"JJ?" Ava perked up suddenly, as if remembering that JJ had been in danger the last time she was conscious.

"Is perfectly fine." Emily stretched the truth a little. "She was just here a few hours ago. Reading to you, actually."

"So she's…" Ava struggled to understand, still unaware of the fact that it had been months since her rescue.

"Alive, yes." Emily confirmed with a nod a she sat beside the woman again. "And almost a hundred percent. You both are."

"What?" Ava frowned, beginning to run a hand over herself. As she grazed her right shoulder- where she distinctly remembered being shot- she froze. Pushing the garment aside, she saw nothing but a small, square bandage. Lifting it, she ran a hand over the scar that had begun to heal. "How long?"

"Three months and sixteen days." Emily recounted perfectly. She watched for a reaction, expecting the worse. However, Ava merely nodded as if she had expected it.

"Could've been worse, I suppose."

"Definitely." Emily shot her another grin which was, as expected, not reciprocated.

"So," Ava licked her lips, "you were there?" She began to remember a tall, dark haired figure arriving with Hotch after killing Volkov.

"Yes, I was." Emily told her. "And I just…I just wanted to thank you for everything you did to keep JJ safe." Ava bit the inside of her cheek over and over again, a telltale sign of agitation. "I know you find it hard to believe but, if it wasn't for you, JJ wouldn't have survived down there."

"You're right." Ava swallowed hard, her gaze narrowing. "I do find it hard to believe." Just as Emily opened her mouth to reply, a stampede of footsteps began to approach signaling the arrival of multiple BAU members. They were, however, stopped at the door and undoubtedly told that Ava shouldn't be crowded. Unsurprisingly, JJ came in first. She stood at the door, tears already steaking down her cheeks, as she took in the sight of Ava awake, sitting upright, and, most importantly, _alive_. After gathering herself, the blonde rushed forward, fell to her knees beside the bed, and wrapped her arms around Ava's neck. Emily couldn't help but notice the sudden, brief look of panic Ava's eyes.

"Oh, Ava." JJ cried into her friend's shoulder. "You're here. You're really here." After several seconds of watching Ava's hands remain at her sides, Emily put a hand on JJ's back. Hopefully she understood that Ava wasn't exactly ready to be touched. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's alright." Ava assured her, watching as more tears fell from JJ's eyes at the sound of her voice. "I'm fine."

"Yes, you are." JJ refrained from stroking the woman's cheek. "God, Ava. I'm so sorry for everything. What you did…what you did to save me," she paused as a sob escaped her lips at the thought, "I can never repay you."

"You don't have to." Ava stated simply, taking in the various cuts on JJ's face that were almost healed.

"The others- they're outside." JJ motioned to the door. "Would you like to see them?" Ava nodded at once, needing to see her team's faces- needing to know that no one else was hurt because of her. Emily rose to usher the men of the BAU inside, knowing that JJ would prefer to remain at Ava's side. As the group of four poured in, each found themselves taking a sigh of relief. It was over- really over. Ava was awake and alright. They could handle anything after that. Hotch and Rossi hung back, sharing a look of concern as Ava's face withheld any and all emotion. While Reid and Morgan sat by her side along with JJ, Emily stood aside and hugged herself as she approached the eldest members of the team.

"She doesn't look…" Rossi searched for the correct words, " _that_ bad." Emily shot him a mean glare. "I mean, considering."

"She doesn't seem happy to see you guys." Emily surmised. "Hopefully the others can tell that it's the trauma manifesting. Three months have passed for everyone else but, to her, it feels like yesterday."

"She's going to need help." Hotch added. "I mean aside from the obvious. She didn't want to go back to that apartment before they kidnapped her there. I can't imagine her changing her mind now."

"JJ will offer." Emily told him. "I'm not sure that's the best idea." Hotch and Rossi both shot her a confused glance. It would be the logical decision, seeing as the one person Ava trusted the most was the blonde. However, Emily saw what they couldn't. "When JJ hugged her, Ava didn't think about reciprocating."

"Can you blame her? After what she went through?" Rossi lowered his voice, wanting to make sure no one heard him bring it up.

"That's just it." Emily pointed out what was obvious to her. "JJ may not intentionally cause harm but not only was she the…motivation behind Ava's decision, but we can't ignore the physical similarities between her and Volkov."

"You think seeing JJ everyday will affect her moving passed what happened?" Hotch mulled it over. "I suppose it makes sense but where else can she go?" Emily opened her mouth to say that she would take her but Rossi was faster.

"I have an entire guesthouse I never use." He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind the company and she knows me a little better than she knows you, Em."

"You're right." She agreed. "Hopefully, she'll take it. She'll want to get out of here as soon as possible and I can't say I blame her." As the three finished their conversation, they looked back at the group surrounding the bed. Ava was looking straight through her teammates and directly at the group of three.

It had taken over an hour to convince Ava to, temporarily, move into Rossi's guesthouse. Although she played it off as she didn't want to be a burden, Ava was mainly concerned about one thing. She knew she wasn't healed- not even close. When someone survives trauma like she had, it came with baggage- baggage that festered and affected everyone around her. She didn't want anyone of the team having to wake up to her screams from a nightmare or calm her from a panic attack. She didn't think she could take the embarrassment that would undoubtedly follow. However, Ava also knew just how limited her options were. Rossi convinced her that he would barely be around and she would have the place to herself until she decided to return to work. Privacy was the driving factor in her decision.

Before she could leave the hospital, however, the doctors highly recommended that she stay one more night for observation. Since Ava had no recollection of being in a hospital for the past three months, she accepted. What was one night? As the group dwindled down to Emily and JJ, Ava found herself thankful for the quiet. While she wanted to see her team and was sure they were anxious to see her, there was only so much attention she could handle.

"Do you need anything?" JJ had been fussing over since she'd woken up. Ava allowed it. "Another pillow? Some more water?"

"Actually, water would be great. Thanks." Ava told her flatly and the blonde was off like a bullet. Several seconds of silence passed between the dark haired agents, neither knowing the other well enough for small talk.

"You don't actually want water, do you?" Emily's ability to read her so effortlessly made Ava uncomfortable. "Do you want us to go?"

"No." Ava was quick to assure her. In fact, she didn't want water. All she wanted was…well, she wasn't sure what she wanted. "I just…I don't want to be alone."

"I understand." The older woman offered her a warm smile. "You just want the noise to stop. I get it." Ava, dark curls tied out of her face, toyed with the now-split ends.

"Yea." Was Ava's only response. The younger agent studied Emily during her time at the Agency. Everyone had. She knew all about Ian Doyle and what happened after Lauren died. Emily was, in Ava's opinion, the only one who could even remotely understand what she was feeling. If she hadn't, her presence would have made Ava far more uncomfortable- uncomfortable enough to ask her to leave considering the fact that they didn't even know each other. However, after hearing how Emily had not only rushed in to help find them, but remained with the team while she recovered, her admiration for the woman grew. That and she apparently had punched Kate in the face. That was important too.

"I know we don't know each other," Emily sighed, "but if you ever want to talk or if you want to just sit in silence with someone…let me know. I'm good at both."

"Talking and being silent?" Ava raised an eyebrow slightly, a bit of the real Ava shining through. Emily chuckled.

"Well not necessarily at the same time but yes." Her tone turned more serious as she anticipated JJ's return. "I mean it though. You sacrificed a lot to save my best friend. Plus, I know a little something about surviving shitty situations. Anything you need. Anytime."

"Thanks." Ava knew she would probably wind up taking the woman up on the offer. "For everything." Emily waved a hand in dismissal as the door reopened. "Did you go to Poland Springs and bottle it yourse-"

"Ava." The voice did not belong to JJ. At seeing the look on Ava's face, Emily stood and spun around, knowing exactly who she would find.

"Here for another nose job?" Emily spat at the woman. "Because if not, I suggest you find the exit." Kate McGrath wrung her hands together, longingly staring at her ex-fiancée while also remaining cautiously by the door.

"They called and told me you were awake." She ignored Emily completely. "I had to come."

"No, Kate. You really didn't." Ava said coldly. "Why'd they call you anyway? We're not engaged anymore. Or did you forget?"

"No, I uhm," the blonde slowly went to stand on the other side of the bed as Emily, "I couldn't forget that. I'm still your emergency contact though."

"A mistake I'll fix first thing in the morning." Ava assured her. "I told you to stay away from me. Did I stutter or are you just incapable of giving a shit?" Even Emily was taken aback by the woman's tone and she didn't even know what Ava was like before. However, far be it for her to stop the roll she was on. Emily simply sat back and tried to keep from grinning at the look on Kate's face.

"I-I just wanted to see if you were alright." Kate defended, reaching down for Ava's hand only to be rejected as the brunette yanked it away.

"Well, I'm great. Goodbye now." Ava knew she was being uncharacteristically harsh but she couldn't stop herself. Maybe it was the trauma. Maybe it was because she had slept for three months but still, remained exhausted. Maybe she had just had enough of Kate's bullshit. Either way, it didn't matter. Ava needed her gone and she was seconds away from asking Emily to forcibly remove the woman.

"Fine." Kate set her jaw and Ava could see the beginning signs of tears. She didn't care. "I'll go but don't you _ever_ come crawling back to me. I never want to see you again." Ava, for the first time since waking up in that basement, laughed. The sound surprised both women in the room.

"Somehow, I'll get over that heartbreak." She told the taller woman. "Now get the fuck out." Kate bit her tongue, her upper lip trembling from either rage or sadness. It didn't matter which. Kate spun on her heel, a golden whip behind her, and paused momentarily at the door. She turned her head and seemed to debate saying what she said next.

"That's not the only reason I came." She admitted. Ava's interest was, admittedly, peaked.

"Get on with it, then." She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't this woman understand that?!

"He called me this morning." Kate said over her shoulder. Emily narrowed her gaze at the look in the blonde's eyes. "He knows where you are and what happened. Said he wants to see you."

"'He' who?" Ava's voice was low, dripping with anger as she already knew who Kate was referring to.

"Roan." Emily watched as the name set off unseen alarm bells in Ava's mind. "You remember your husband, don't you?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Kind of a short chapter but it answers a question or two you might've had for quite some time. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts.**

 **Chapter 25**

"Did you guys know garbage could walk because I could've sworn I just saw a dumpster pass by." JJ's joke fell on deaf ears as she returned juggling three bottles of water. The blonde quickly took in Ava's paler than usual face, as well as the look of disgust on Emily's, and knew that something was wrong.

"You're married?" Emily asked the youngest agent, causing JJ to stifle an 'excuse me?' that threatened to escape.

"I _was_ married." Ava clarified. "We're divorced. Technically."

"I'm sorry," JJ raised her hands defensively after placing the bottles on the nightstand, "what?"

"Kate was nice enough to come tell me that my ex-husband will be stopping by for a visit." Ava explained. "I haven't seen Roan since…since he left me."

"Roan." JJ repeated the name, wondering why it sounded so familiar. Then she remembered the conversation she had witnessed between Ava and Kate in their apartment. "If Roan is your ex then that makes Alex your…"

"My son, yes." Ava's gaze fell to her lap as she picked at her cuticles. "I was wondering when that was going to come up."

"I didn't want to push you." JJ assured the woman softly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I know…I know what it's like to lose a child." Too busy staring at her hands, Ava didn't notice her friend take Emily's hand and squeeze it tightly. The older brunette swallowed hard, surprised that JJ would be concerned for her just as much as she was for Ava.

"Yea." Ava chewed her lip, debated whether or not to tell them the truth. It didn't take long for her to decide. "We were twenty-one when we got married. We'd both graduated early and had been dating since sophomore year of college. I knew we were young but it…it didn't matter. From the second I met him, I knew that he was my future. Or at least I thought I knew. It didn't take us long to conceive but we had already gotten an apartment and jobs- him in the Navy and me at the CIA- so we decided to keep him. Everything was great- perfect even. Then one day it just…wasn't." Pausing momentarily, Ava found herself breathing heavily. She had never told anyone this before. Even Kate hadn't known the full story.

"Did he do anything to hurt you?" Emily asked, genuinely curious but also aware that when recounting events like these, sometimes people needed a question in order to continue. It helps detach them from the fact that it happened to them that it wasn't just some story on the news.

"Roan? God no." Ava frowned at the thought. "You both heard what Volkov said."

"She said you killed him but I don't believe that for a second." JJ leaned forward slightly, wanting nothing more than to hold her friend's hand.

"Except, technically, she's right." Ava licked her lips. "I woke up one morning, about seven months in, and didn't feel well. Roan was heading to work and I told him that if I still felt sick when he got back, we'd go to the hospital together. He wasn't happy about it but I made him go anyway. A few hours later, I started having pains. I ended up calling an ambulance for myself but it…it didn't make a difference." Tears began to well in her eyes as she cleared her throat. "They said I have a condition- an infertility condition that causes my body to treat the fetus like an infection. It attacks over time and eventually…kills what it believes to be harmful." She was crying now, silent tears streaking down her cheek as she purposely avoided looking at her friends. JJ felt her heart break for the woman as, she too, began to cry.

"God, Ava." She murmured. "That is _not_ your fault."

"I know that now." Ava assured her. "But not then. It took me years to be able to even look at a child without feeling guilty."

"There's no way you could've known that." Emily agreed. "Saying that was unbelievably cruel, even for Volkov."

"That's just who she was." Ava waved thoughts of the woman away.

"How did Roan take it?" JJ almost regretted asking.

"About as great as you'd expect." Ava continued. "I stayed in the hospital for a few days. When I was stronger, I had to go back to, uh…" She struggled to find the words, bile rising up in her throat at the mere thought. Thankfully, they weren't necessary.

"We understand." Emily told her softly. "Go on."

"When I woke up that morning, he was gone." Ava said, almost robotically. "All of his things were gone and he'd left me a note saying that he was chosen to go on a mission and couldn't say where."

"What a dick." JJ couldn't help but mumble under her breath as she shook her head.

"I went to the appointment, named him 'Alex', and buried him the same day." Ava rattled off the list quickly, eager to be finished.

"By yourself?" Emily couldn't believe what she was hearing. If Roan had the audacity to show his face here, she would gladly shoot him on sight. Ava simply shrugged.

"I didn't have anyone." She admitted. "Any friends I had left were hundreds of miles away. My parents were gone and Roan…Roan abandoned me on the day I needed him most."

"I'm so sorry, Ava." JJ slowly took the younger woman's hand, wary of her aversion to physical contact. To her credit, Ava didn't flinch. "No one should ever have to go through that- especially not alone."

"It's over now." The younger woman cleared her throat. "I go and see him once a week. Tell him about my life, my job, anything really. I've told him all about the team too. Is that weird?"

"No." Both older women responded immediately.

"I didn't know what I was having but I had a dream of this little girl after it happened." JJ told her. "I named her 'Rose' and I talk to her every day. It's healthy."

"James." Emily said suddenly, drawing the younger agents' attention. "I named him 'James'." Ava was clearly unaware that Emily had been in their situation as well. JJ, having known for years and been best friends with the woman, had never heard her speak of him. Although through drastically different situations, all three women had lost a child. Looking from one pair of watery eyes to another, the group eventually shook their heads in disbelief.

"Look at us." Ava wiped her eyes. "Are criminals _actually_ afraid of us?" JJ and Emily chuckled, each busy trying to fix their eye makeup.

"Surprisingly, yes." Emily passed the box of tissues around. She made eye contact with JJ and the look on the blonde's face spoke volumes.

 _We have to tell her._

As Ava gently blew her nose into a tissue, she frowned at the exchange.

"What aren't you telling me?" She asked without even glancing up. "Don't think I haven't noticed the eggshells everyone's walking on. What is it?"

"Ava," JJ practically winced, "I'm not sure now is the best time."

"Whatever it is, it's clearly not good." Ava concluded. "Might as well tell me while I have a box of tissues in my hand."

"Alright." JJ relented, sighing as she thought fast. "Just please remember that this isn't your fault, ok? No knew- no one _could've_ know- let alone you."

"What are you talking about?" Ava frowned, the anxiety coming off of JJ making her more nervous as the seconds trickled by. With one last, almost frightened glance at Emily, JJ said,

"Volkov was pregnant."


End file.
